The Chabot-Las Positas Community College District’s (CLPCCD) board of trustees will meet Tuesday, Dec. 5 to decide whether to adopt sanctuary policies for both its campuses, but a recent vote of “no confidence” for District Chancellor Jannett Jackson will also likely be addressed in the public comment portion of the hearing.

Faculty and students of CLPCCD have been battling with their district board to grant sanctuary (which would protect the college’s undocumented students) for the college since a sanctuary resolution was presented on May 16. And part of the reason for the “no confidence” vote on Jackson is her alleged mishandling of that resolution. Other reasons for the vote include concerns regarding some of Chabot’s policies and in particular the ignoring of faculty requests over the hiring of new faculty.

Chabot-Las Positas Community College District Chancellor Jannett Jackson. Courtesy of clpccd.org

The city of Hayward, where Chabot is located, declared itself a “sanctuary city” on June 6, adopting a resolution prohibiting municipal resources and personnel to administer or enforce U.S. immigration laws. But the CLPCCD board took no action in extending those measures to the campus. Las Positas College and Chabot College issued a joint statement asking trustees to extend sanctuary to the campuses. Faculty and students are very concerned with the statements and actions of the Trump administration regarding undocumented immigrants.

“During my public comments, I reminded the Board that the presence of DACA and immigrant students in our classroom are necessary to develop innovative and multicultural pedagogy,” said Chabot College Professor Laura Alarcon. “I requested the board to allow the faculty to teach these heroes in a safe haven. I reminded them that their stories and their struggle are intrinsic to my success as educator.”  

On Oct. 5, Gov. Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 54, known as the “California Values Act,” which prohibits state or local authorities from asking about immigration status for deportation in schools, which are considered safe spaces.

The CLPCCD had discussed its support for the state’s Value Act, but not the sanctuary resolution for both of their campuses. The sanctuary resolution wasn’t listed on the Oct. 24 meeting agenda, but Jackson was recorded telling the audience at the meeting that using the word “sanctuary” would give, “a false sense of security” and would not work to stand against legal challenges.

Chabot faculty like Juztino Panella, insists the word “sanctuary” be used and defined with “its historical and political significance from people who come from war-torn countries.”

“That night we all witnessed the passing of an empty resolution that supported the Values Act Assembly Bill 54 that will be enacted the first day on 2018 regardless of Board of Trustees support,” said Alarcon.

Tomorrow’s Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Chabot College’s Board Room in building 200, located at 25555 Hesperian Blvd., Hayward, CA.