Walsh isn’t suited to lead MC into future
As long as Susan Walsh remains the interim or acting president of Merced College, the unpleasant aroma of paranoia will be wafting from her office.
Walsh’s attempt to strong-arm law enforcement into identifying someone who had provoked her ire with an angry anonymous letter was petty, vindictive, borderline illegal and, we thought, beneath her standards. Her attempt to intimidate a board member was just as bad.
We recognize Walsh’s years of service to the community, her knowledge of educational issues and her efforts to help young and striving people hurdle the roadblocks that keep them from reaching their potential and dreams. We also recognize Walsh is a person of strong will, imbued with a take-charge attitude; the sort who can give public institutions what they sometimes need – a kick in the pants. But you’ve got to be careful where you kick.
Problems began in January after MC President Ron Taylor – who helped the college regain accreditation in 2013 – said he wanted to step down after the 2016 school year. Instead of letting him remain until a replacement was found, Taylor was put on paid leave and Walsh – the college’s longtime librarian and an elected member of the Merced City School District board – was immediately named acting president. Five months later, she was elevated to “interim” president.
But in February, before her title changed, someone sent a letter to board members detailing previous problems at the college and demanding Taylor be reinstated.
If someone fears repercussions, it’s not uncommon to send a letter anonymously. Absent threatening language, it’s not illegal. Instead of taking criticism in stride, Walsh sought to learn the author’s identity on the pretext the letter contained a lewd image that had been an issue two years previously.
In an especially Machiavellian move, she demanded the head of campus security – Merced County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Vince Gallagher – dust the letter for fingerprints. Because the letter wasn’t criminal, he refused.
Then, at a closed meeting, Walsh told Gallagher to arrest trustee Cindy Lashbrook for allegedly recording. He refused again. Angered, Walsh told Sheriff Vern Warnke she wanted a new campus security chief. Knowing that would lead to trouble, Warnke rightly refused.
After his refusal, the college’s 16-year contract with the sheriff’s office to provide security wasn’t renewed – costing the college $10,000 in new radios when it signed up with Merced police. Meanwhile, Walsh took the letter to a private detective agency only to learn it contained no usable prints.
What, exactly, would Walsh have done had she learned the author’s identity? Using the power of her office to act against a student or staff member could leave the college open to lawsuits, discipline and even another loss of accreditation.
When the Sun-Star found out about her fingerprint fixation – and we were bound to find out – reporter Thaddeus Miller asked to see any emails, invoices or text messages referring to the matter. The college responded it will cost $150,000 to provide entirely public information to the public. Incredibly, the college purports it will cost $150K – enough to pay a year’s salary to two adjunct professors or one full-time PR person – to dredge up a few dozen emails and invoices from a seven-month period.
Such an absurd figure is meant only to frighten away inquiries. Now we’re even more curious.
Walsh says she’s not interested in the job permanently; we’re glad. Her paranoia betrays a skin far too thin to be a college president. The MC board – including the brother-in-law of her brother, Merced County Supervisor Hub Walsh – should insist she have no role in choosing the new president and should go slowly on any of her policy proposals. Merced College’s next president must not be burdened with Walsh’s paranoia, agenda or political web-weaving.
It’s time to air out the president’s office.
This story was originally published August 12, 2016 at 5:45 PM with the headline "Walsh isn’t suited to lead MC into future."