How has this case impacted the campus community?
The Fullerton College Faculty Senate passed two resolutions in 2024 demanding accountability in response to the PERB’s findings. The resolutions call for holding the district administrators accountable for their investigation and advocating for greater academic freedom.
“We are looking for accountability and are strongly concerned about what happened to the union leader happening to any other instructor,” said Archie Delshad, a Fullerton College faculty senator and United Faculty secretary.
The case has left faculty members having a sense of fear and uncertainty about their own security and freedom, according to Delshad and other faculty senators who discussed the case.
The case has further ramifications, as it marks the second time Ramos has been found guilty of unfair labor practices under PERB. In an earlier case, PERB found that Ramos retaliated against Mt. San Jacinto College faculty members for discussing work conditions via email, which PERB determined was a protected activity.
When asked about this, Ramos responded, “As the District’s Chief Human Resources Officer, I oversee all personnel matters. It is not unusual for me to be named in PERB cases.”
Yeung, the PERB expert, mentioned that unfair practices, especially in the context of bargaining, can be scrutinized if there is a history of bad faith bargaining or failing to provide accurate information. Repeated offenses are considered more seriously. This is a relatively new approach by PERB, and, according to Yeung, there haven’t been many cases on it as of now.
“The district, their counsel has access to the same resources that we do as far as what the legal requirements are, what employers, particularly community colleges, are required to do,” said Joseph.
She also explained that it’s common for there to be animosity between unions and administrators, but this case stands out as it concerns free speech.
The situation underscores a troubling reality: if the district struggles with upholding something as fundamental as free speech for its faculty, what implications does this have for its students? The tensions between the union and administration are ongoing, and the path to rebuilding trust remains unclear.
“They’re concerned about what they can and can’t teach. And that’s not good for anybody. It’s not good for professors, but it’s certainly not good for students,” said Delshad.
Joseph expressed strong disapproval of launching investigations and labeling actions as unprofessional conduct, calling it “entirely inappropriate.” She emphasized that, in this case, the union leadership saw substantial issues with the district administration, which they perceived as an “old boys club.” She also saw significant problems related to equity for female faculty and faculty of color.
Joseph said that the union is committed to standing up for all individuals it represents, whether they are members or not, to ensure that colleges are making every effort to achieve equality.
In a written statement presented at the Feb. 29, 2024 Faculty Senate meeting by Delshad, geography professor Aline Gregorio stated,
The Hornet asked Ramos if there had been any policy changes since this case.
The response was a simple “no.”
“The District does not agree with the Administrative Law Judge’s decision. However, rather than appealing the decision, the District elected to comply with the order, so the matter could be laid to rest,” said Ramos.
This story was researched, reported and written by Fullerton College student journalists Natalia Fierro-Gomez, Sara Leon, Jake Rhodes and Pedro Saravia. Additional reporting done by Dylan Arreola. Art and graphics by Melisa Skinder. This project was supported by funding from California Humanities Emerging Journalist Fellowship Program. Any views or findings in this story do not necessarily represent those of California Humanities, the National Endowment for Humanities, or Fullerton College.
This story has been corrected. A previous version of this article said that Irma Ramos worked at Mt. SAC.
