Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations Scrapbook 2021

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In the year 1981, two one of separate small groups of the most Kootenai County citizens successful founded two remarkable hospices in organizations: Hospice the United of North Idaho and States the Kootenai County due to the Task Force on Human support of Relations. generous As one of the citizens co-founding board and groups. members of both Judy Meyer. GUEST organizations, I wish to an original OPINION share these two special board stories on their 40th member anniversaries as they and her husband Steve, serve untold numbers of provided free office space people in their time of for several years; Joe need.

Morris, another original board member and CEO Hospice of North Idaho of Kootenai Hospital, (1981-Present) provided vital support Two angels, Kay from the hospital; McGruder and Karen and Kootenai County Yates, with a $25,000 grant from the American churches came to the Cancer Society, recruited rescue with funds.

Mary Lou Reed, an 17 board members including Bill Wassmuth Idaho state senator at the time, ushered through as presii;lent founding state legislation to the first nonprofit qualify Hospice of North Hospice in Idaho. Kay and Karen became part- Idaho for state Medicaid funds; our Board and time employees as we staff successfully applied initiated unique health to become Medicare care services for cancer certified; health patients and their insurance companies families.

It was not long before came on board; Susan Jacklin, a board member, the dream blossomed launched an annual into what has become successful wine tasting

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~ fundraising event; Freeman Duncan, an attorney and founding board member, drafted all legal documents; volunteers Toni and Hugh Smith opened a Hospice of North Idaho thrift shop in Post Falls; and over time major donors contributed significant sums including Gary Schneidmiller's large gift in honor of his parents.

The above supporters along with other contributors grew Hospice of North Idaho from two part-time employees operating out of a small office to today's beautiful campus with more than 120 employees including medical teams annually serving hundreds of patients and families with a gift of care and kindness in the same spirit of the first hospices in Great Britain.

Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations (1 981-Present)

After members from the Aryan Nations targeted a Jewish owned restaurant in Hayden

in December 1980, Dina Tanners and I invited eight individuals to a meeting at Pastor Rick Morris First Christian Church in Coeur d'Alene the first week of February 1981. That evening we formed the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations and elected Rev. Morris president.

Within weeks, we recruited additional board members, had local attorney Anne Solomon draft the legal documents and commenced our work combating hate activities and crimes.

Our first task was to collaborate with several Idaho groups and officials including the Idaho Human Rights Commission, Kootenai County Prosecutor Glen Walker, and Kootenai County Undersheriff Larry Broadbent, to lobby the Idaho.

Legislature and Governor John Evans for passage of a series of anti-hate crime laws with the first bill enacted in 1983 followed by additional legislation throughout the 1980s.

Our small organization, with no staff or building, did not anticipate ever becoming more than a local human rights organization when we elected Catholic priest Bill Wassmuth our second president in 1984, serving until June 1988. Under Father Bill's dynamic leadership, we reorganized. Then everything changed on Sept. 15, 1986, when Order ll, associated with the Aryan Nations, bombed Father Bill's home and a few days later set off additional bombs in downtown Coeur d'Alene.

Following these bombings, the KCTFHR's identity and consulting work took on a national importance.

Twelve years later, the KCTFHR would become even more recognized nationally and internationally as a human rights organization when KCTFHR attorney Norm Gissel agreed to represent victims Victoria and Jason Keenan following an attack on July 1, 1998, by Aryan Nations security

guards. Gissel recruited the Southern Poverty Law Center and local attorney Ken Howard for a successful civil trial that bankrupted the neoNazi group in September 2000.

The success of the KCTFHR has been chronicled in three books, national and international journal articles, a master's thesis, a Ph.D. dissertation and a onehour Idaho PBS TV documentary.

The most amazing comparison regarding these two organizations is how a small number of citizens with few financial resources bad the faith to act.

These successful efforts remind me of prominent educator Marian Wright Edelman when she wrote: "We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee."

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Tony Stewart is a Coeur d'Alene resident.

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Unite in battle against terrorism pen Letter to Fellow OTheAmericans: Kootenai County Task

Force on Human Relations has spent the past 40 years promoting civil and human rights as enshrined in the ideals of democracy that encompasses promoting freedom, equality, equity and Justice for each individual.

Over the past 250 years. the United States has made progress toward the goal of f'ulfilling democracy's great benefits for all people. As that work continues. we face a growing serious threat from domestic terrorists to that evolving democracy.

Over the past 25 years In the United States. we have witnessed an Increase in domestic terrorism with d.eadly consequences. The purpose of this open letter Is to discuss four of these antidemocratic domestic terrorists· acls including the occupation of our National Capitol 011 Jan. 6 and suggest future ways to tombat such threats.

On April 19, 1995, antigovernment white supremacist Timothy McVeigh placed a truc.k loaded with explosives in front of a Federal building

GUEST OPINION in Oklahoma City killing 168 innocent victims, including children. and wounding 680 people.

On Aug. 12, 2017, an angry mob of anti-government white nationalists, neo-Naiis, Ku Klux Klansmeo. and other terrorists under the banner of "Unite the Right;• marched through Charlottesville. Va. They displayed Swastika flags, Confederate Oags. the Naii slogan "Blood and Soil" (Jews will not replace us), and carried torches symboUzing the marches that took place during Hitler's Third Reich.

The tragic result was the death of a peaceful counter demonstrator and two Virginia state police officers in a crash of their helicopter.

Thirty other individuals were ittiured.

On Feb. 5, 2020, FBl Director Chrlst0pher Wray during testimony before the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House stated that 2019 was the deadliest year for domestic terrorism since the Oklahoma City truck bombing

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in 1995. The year 2019 saw 29 Americans killed in live separate terrorists' attacks including the deadliest attack on Latinos In American history when a 21-year-old white supremacist killed 22 and injured 24 other Latinos In El Paso, Texas.

Americans across the nation we_re horrified and shocked on Jan. 6. 2021. when a violent mob attempted an insurrection by an assault on our democracy as they desecrated the National Capitol buildlng, .t he citadel of our democracy and home or the legislative branch of our democratic Republic. There are indications that part of the plan ·was to kidnap VicePresident Mike Pence and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and kiU them. Also pipe bombs were placed in front of the national headquarters or the Republican and Democratic parties.

The attack on our National Capitol resulted in the direct deaths of five mdividuals.

Our National Capitol had

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not experienced an attack overrunning and occupying the Capitol by an invading force since the War of 1812 when the British army did so.

The aftermath of the Jan. 6 assault has seen members of Congress harassed and verbal[y threatened in public.

This attack on our National Capitol reminds us of an excerpt from Yale University Professor Timothy Snyder's book "On Tyranny; Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century" when Snyder describes the burning of the German parliament, the Reichstag, on Feb. 27. 1933, thus destroying the last democratic institution in Germany as HIUor said; "This fire ls Just the beginning."

We should take the good advice of fonner South carollna Governor Nikki Haley from a s~ch she gave on Jan. 7, 2021, when she said; ··But we mus1 stop turning American people against each other."

We call on our fellow citizens or good will In communities across America to unite in a bi-Partisan coalition to confront and combat terrorism in all Its

manifestations by supporting: strict Federal, state and local anti-terrorism laws; aggressive police investigations and prosecutions of all perpetrators: assist the victims of these heinous crimes; and hold elected officials res_ponsible for developing, adopting and enforcing public policies that protect the civil and human rights for each individual.

We close this letter by reminding each of you with the wisdom shared by Edmund Burke in a letter addressed to Thomas Mercer when he wrote: "The only thing necessary for the triumph or evil is for good men to do nothing."

Kootenai County Task .Force on Buman Relations Board of Dlrectors Joined By: Gonzaga University Provost, Associate Provost and the G U Jnstltute for Rate Studies Bonner County Buman Rights Task Force

Boundary County Buman Rights Task Force Spokane County Human Rights Task Force

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Region's human rights groups write letter to offer perspectives Open Letter 10 Fellow Americans The Kootenai Coumy Task Vorce on Human Relations has spent the past 40 years promoting civil and numan righlS as enshrined in the ideals of democracy tha1 encompasses promoting freedom, equalii)', equil)' and justice for each individual.

Over the pasc 250 years, 1he United Stales has made progress toward the goal of fulfilling democracy's great benefits for all people. As that work concinues, we race a growing serious 1hrea1 from domestic terrorists 10 that evolving democracy.

Over the past 25 years in the U.S, we have wi1ncsscd an increase in domestic terrorism wilh deadly consequences. The purpose of this open letter is to discuss four of these anti-democratic domestic terrorists' acts including 1hc occupation of our National Capitol on Jan. 6 and suggest future ways 10 combul such lhreats.

On April 19, 1995 anti-government white supremacist Timothy McVeigb placed a truck loaded wilh explosives io front of a Federal building in Oklshoma City. killing 168 innocent victims, including children, and wounding 680 people.

On Aug. 12, 2017, an angry mob of aoti·govemmen:t white nationalists, nco-

Natis. Ku Klux Klansmcn, and other cecrorists under the banner of "Unite the

Righi," marched through Charlottesville,

Va. They displayed Swastika Oag$, Confederate flags, lhe Na7.i slogan "Blood and Soil" (Jews will no1 replace us). and carried torches symbolizing the marches !hat look place during Hitler's Third Reich. The tragic result was the deach of a peaceful counter demonstrator and two Virginia stale police officers in a crash of their helicop1er. Thirty other individuals were injured.

On Feb. S, 2020, FBI Direccor Chriscopher Wray during testimony before lhe Judiciary Commiltee of the U.S. House stated that 2019 was the dcadlies1 year for domestic terrorism since lhe Oklahoma City truck bombing in 1995. The year 2019 saw 29 Americans killed in five separate terrorislS' attacks including the deadliest attack on Latinos in American history when a 21-year-old while supremacist allegedly killed 22 and injured 24 other Latinos in El Paso, Texas.

Americans across the nation were horrified and shooked on Jan. 6, 2021 when a violent mob a11emp1ed an insurrection by an nssauh on our democracy as they desecrated 1heNa1ional Capitol building, the citadel ofour democracy and home of 1he legislative branch of our democratic republic. There are indications that part

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01 tnc plan was to kidnap Vice-President Mike Pence and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and kill them. Also pipe bombs were placed in from of 1he national headquarters of the Republican and Democratic parties.

The anack on our National Capitol rcsuhed in lhc direct deaths of five individuals.

Our National Capitol had not experienced an auack overrunoiog and oocupying the Capicol by an invading force since lhe War of 1812 when the British army did so.

The aftermath of the Jan. 6 assaull hBs seen members of Congress harassed and verbally lhrea1ened in public.

This auack on our National Capitol reminds us ofan excerpt from Yale University Professor Timothy Snyder's book •·on Tyranny: 1\ven1y Lessons from the 1\ventieth Century" when Snyder describes the burning of!he Gcm,an parliament, lhc Reichstag,on Fcb.27, 1933 lhus destroying the lost democratic institution in ~rrnany n.~ Hitler said: ·'This fire is just 1he beginning".

We should 1ake tbe good advice of former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley from a speech she gave on Jan. 7.

2021 when she said: .. But we must slop

turning American people against each otlter."

We call on our fellow citizens of good will in communities across America to unite in obi-partisan coalition 10 eon from and combac terromm in all its manifestations by supporting: strict federal, state and local anti-terrorism laws; aggressive police investigations and prosecutions of all peqx,trators; assist lhe victims ofthese heinous crimes.and hold elected officials re,;ponsible for developing. adopting nod enforcing public policies tbal protect the civil and human rights for each individual.

We close this letter by reminding each of you wilh 1hc wisdom shared by Edmund Burke in a leuer addressed to Thomas Mercer when he wrote: "The only thing necessary for lhe triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

Kootenai Couotv Task Force on Human Relations &;rd or Direclors Com.aga Uninrsity Provosl Ass0<eiate P rovost and the Conuiga Institute for Hate Studies Bonner County Buman Rights Task Force Boundary County Human Rights Task Force Spokane County Duman Rights Task Force

n1e Press, Saturday, February 6, 2021 I

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Women join call for NICchair to resign I I

GUEST OPINION

We, the undersigned, want to state our Support for NIC Trustee Christle Wood and NTC President Rick MacLennan and ask that NIC Board of Trustees Chair Todd Banducci resign.

His patterns of abuse and aggressive behavior and bis wlllfuJ disregard of college policy, as reported

by Trustee Wood and President MacLennan, are dlstw·bing and unacceptable. Trustees are entrusted with the well,belng of the college. M such, their behavior ought to model the professional ism required to be effective leaders. Trustees must demonstrate, by their words and actions, respect for the dignity of students. employees and their fellow board members. Chair Banducci does not meet this standard.

We would like to address some specific actions of Chair Banducci that were brought to Ught by Trustee Wood's letter to the board on Jan. 18, 2021, that was made public on Jan. 20. 2021, and by an email sent by President MacLennan to the NIC board on Jan. 18, both of which were reported on by the CDA Press on Jan. 20. 2021.

Trustee Ken Howard has publicly acknowledged the accuracy of these events as reported

by Trustee Wood and President MacLennan.

These actions were confirmed in college emails obtained through a public records request Of particular concern is Chair Banducci's treabnent of women. He has twice threatened to physically assault Trustee Wood. In another incide.nt, be shouted at and asswned a threatening posture over Trustee Judy Meyer. He verbally and physically assaulted a female employee, resulting in an investigation. As a result of this investigati6n, Mr. Banducci was censw·ed by the board and signed a settlement with the employee agreeing to have no contact with ber.

Another employee filed a Title IV complaint against Mr. Banducci charging him with sexual See MY TURN, C7

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harassment. She dropped the complaint being too fearful to move forward with It. In addition to being morally reprehensible, these actions create a huge liability for the college.

I Of further concern is Chair Banduccl's questioning of an NIC employee about a financial contribution made to the campaign of Dr. Joe Dunlap, who was running for the NIC Board. This ls a clear attempt to intimidate an employee, and is a violation of the employee's civil rights as well as a violation of NIC's Political Activities Polley 3.02.11, which protects the rights of Its employees to participate jn.civic life.as private ctt!Zens.

Chair Banducci has overstepped his role with students as well. In 2014, Trustee Banducci's behavior at public board meetings deeply disturbed ASNTC President Benaiab Ch,e evers. During his report, President Cheevers called for greater ci viii ty and specifically addressed Trustee Banducci's treatment of Faculty Assembly Chair Michelle Lippert and Vice President for Community

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Relations and Marketing Mark Browning. Trustee Banducci berated Benalab and called him an "indoctrinated pawn." Recently, Trustee Banducci attempted to constrain the free speech rights of students.

Chair Banducci appears to believe that bis role is to force a particular Ideology onto the college. In an email to a student, he wrote that he was "battling the NIC deep state" and taking on the "Uberal progressives." Again, this type of statement creat.es a huge legal llabllity for the college. A dismissed employee could now sue NlC, stating that they bad been lired because of their political belief.

As reported by Presjdent MacLennan and evidenced In emails, Chair Banducci has recenUy attempted to usurp the power of the board. According to Idaho law, individual board members have no power, as the board can only act collectively.

Mr. Banducci has sent nwnerous emails to President MacLennan demanding specific actions that can only be directed by the board as a whole. Recently, Chair Banducci and other board members have violated open meeting laws by conducting board business via email.

For these reasons, the following women of

I\Ootenai County call for Chair Banduccl's resignation.

Cory Alexander, Alice Arambarri, Lauri Armon, Fran Bahr, Lucy Barnard, Kathy Beechler, Maggi Broi.gel, Sally Cannon, MJch~le Chmielewski, KaU1y Christle, Susan Crowe, Dawna ~n.

Emily Dishman, Yvette Dunlap, Cory EnsUsh, Robin Fields, Sandy Hatleberg Mamola, Judi K. Hanna, Christa Hazel. Sacia Holte, Lisa Houser, Heather HoyEddy, Jerl Hwnphreys, Charil Johnson. Kim Johnson, Jamie Jonz, Wendy Kalhara, Kelsey Kay, Misty Keeler.

Christina Kenck, Kristen KWingswo1th, Kristin Kilmer, Brenda Kimbley, Cathy Kraus, Susan Lauer. Karen McManus Lauri 17,en, Dorothy Ley. Amanda Linarte, Mlcbelle Lippert, Christina Littell. Vickie Locken, Paula Marano, Sara Meyer, Jenny Miller.

Kristi Nlvette MUan. Jessica Peterson, Hillary Peterson, Amber Poelstra, Kristen Pomerantz. Pam Pratt. Lynne Pulizzi.

Eden Richey lrgens, Bronwyn Riley, Mary Rohlman, Tamara SinesKermells, Jessica Smart.

Cheryl Stransky, Juli Stratton, Jan Studer, Jessica Tenneson, Laura Tenneson, Kelly West.

Blair Willlams, Shari WWiams, Bree WUUams, Rosario Wohlsen, Shella Wood

Eye on Boise: Idaho grapples with history, race, values av BETSY z. RUSSEU. Idaho Pm> BOISE - Thete's been much talk from a certain group of House Repubfk:ans this v~r that studvlng thing,, like institution.al radsm or YAlhe privilege "offends l(lahovalues.•

That's a quote from Rep. Ron Nate, R·Rexburg, describing a statement from Boise State University's Department of Criminal Justice that said that racism didn't end with the abotltion of $1avery, and Instead Is •infused into all of our systems and Institutions.• and that -we understand the Importance of our own individual

and gro;up anti·radsm education.," •This Is the kind of social jusdce indoctrinadon we.'re talking about; Nate thundered during a Joint Flnance-Appropriati0f'IS COmmittee hearing. •1 would like to be able to hold them accountable with thelr budget, without hurting the University of Idaho or other state institutions who rnay not be offending Idaho values to

such a degree."

It's the same sentiment that was behind a new bill Introduced by Idaho GOP offldiJI Ed Humphreys at a brief House Education Committee hearing on March 19, seeking to pun.ish k:Saho public schools, colleges or unlversitses by removing pan of thel:f' funding if they te.ach •racist or sexist concepts," includlng that "the state of Idaho or 1he un;ted States of America is fundamentalty nldst or sexist."

Humphreys, who was given the podlum by acting committee Chair Judy Boy~. R·Midvale~ at a time when both the committee's chairman and vice-chair were out with COVIC>-19, set up a video e3mera to film hlmse~ pre>enting the bill. Afterward, he proclaimed on Facebool<. "We took a crack at the racist filth being taught

to our studentsr But human rights actvocates who have been worting against racism and hate In Idaho for the past four deaade$ say the pu,sh reflects a fundam~tal misunderstanding or ldaho's experience with discrimination, hate crimes and more, from the state's earty hlstory through its modern age.

"We've. all been working in so many -ways to promote civil and human rights," said Tony Stewart... a retired North Idaho College pafidcal scientist who co-founded the Northwest Coalition Against Malldou.s Harassment and long has been active in Idaho'$ human rights movement. "And to attack social Justite? I just don't understand. It almost makes me spttchles.s that t?lected official, would do that."

Leslie Goddard, former 14<1gtlme director of the Idaho Human Rights eomm;..lon, wa> the comml>sion'> attorney thr0<1ghout the strv881• with the Aryan Nations in Nonh Idaho, a white $upremadst group linked to numerous aime.s and murders that finally was bankrupted In a civil suit over its members' ilrffled attack on a

Native American woman and her son who drove by the group's compound ln Juty of 1988 on their way home from a wedding. The group's crimes and harassment of local rt$idenu led to Idaho becoming one of the first 12 states to enact a felony hate-oimes law In 1983, along with numerous othet leg1slative steps into the 1990s to target domestic terrorism and advance human rights.

"Now ~re trying to rewrite history and pretend that none of that happened., a.nd none of it is still a part of u.-sr Goddard said. ·that's a big step badcward. I think."

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. . . rk· most recently, it helped a youth minister from Spokane who had Stewart's task force stUI is domg the same wo ' I f I to a Hayden McDonald's for ice cream after a church brought a youth group, most of them yo~ng:eop :-~g~~t~ls attacker was sentenced to six months in jail. service, when the minister was attacked m t e par I • .

1983 • Stewart said. "After 40 years of this experience, we have "In Kootenai County, we:ve never l_ost a case smt:\uma~ rights for every human being." such strong, strong passion for trying to promo d ·1 t "I have no examples in history where silence works," he said. . .

The most important thing, he ~aid, i_s not to stan s~:nd~ not help or assist those who are still facing discrimination or "You never solve problems by ignoring them, and Y racism by saying, 'We won't talk about it:" . . . . . won earth can we ever make progress if we don't recogniz; it, " "Those who face d1scnmmanon consistently, ho • k d "If you don't deal with it, then it doesn t change. address it, and deal with what are our true values? Stewart as e . . • h t what they're trying to do is to whitewash the country, frankly, and to whitewash ;h0::t:~:.s::d t~t s:ye;:::;~~n~ have such problems. And that's simply not true." . fa . d b honest with ourselves about things like white privilege, which is so She said, "We resolve it when we ce it, an e hard for people to understand." . . o into a store, that they have to keep their hands in their_ .

"I never thought to tell my white children, when thhey f.ft" h a·d "But every one of my non-white friends definitely pockets because somebody's going to think they s op ' • s e s I • did that with their children."

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• Humphreys said, *l wholeheartedly believe that racism Is wrong." He said, "We should protect our students. We should not promote racist concepts."

Ht said he's seen such concepts In BSU student assignments. but decRned to offer any examples. "'It's been rrr., experience that the very people espousing anti•

radsm are actually promottog racism." said Humphreys, a financial adviser from Eagle and the Idaho RA!publlcan Party's RA!glon IV chairman. •11 you Judge someone on the c:olOf' of their skin. you are a racist: Idaho's n>cial hi:story is a troubled one, from the slaughter of the Native Americans who occ:upled the land before white settlers to the mistreatment of Chinese minel'S to the constitutional disenfranchisement of both Asians and membel'S of the Mormon church. The state saw extensive Ku KJux Klan activity rn the first half of the 20th century, and was the &ite of internment camps for Japanese-Americans durine World War II.

The Rev. Richard Butler's Aryan Nations arrived In Nonh Idaho In 1973, a.nd by 1980, Its neo-Nazi adherents were attacking and targeting local minorities, from a Jewish restaurant chef in Hayden to a blradal family Ml Coeur d~ene.

•rhey committed over 100 felonies, they murdered nine people; S1ewart said. ·People that were associated with them came !here and were tauglu hate: When Butler's group wanted to parade down Sherman Avenue in Nazi uniforms, some in the community argued it was be$t to tgnore them, Stewart recalled. But the k>c:al Ktfvlsts who had organized against them and formed the Kootenai County Task Fo«:e on Human Relations, led by the late Rev. Bill Wassmutt\. Stewart, &oc:al attorney No«n Gissel and othel"5-, disaereed. ,he worst mlsrake th.at any communh'y or society can ever make is to remain siJent in the face of disaiminadon or any kind of hate crimes," Stewart said. "'They take sUence to mean support. ... We've understood that for all of our 40 yea!"$.• The task force, which Stewart co-founded, began meeting at a local church, standine with victims and pursuing their cases in court, launching human rights educet1oo efforts and pushing for legislative change. Similar groups formed in other nearby communities, and Idaho lawmakers from both partfes s;upported new laws.

When the Idaho Senate State Affairs Committee held lts hearing on S8 1020, the hate crimes la¥(. on Feb. 9, 1983, among those testifying against It were Butle(

himself and louls Beam,• former KKK grand dragon who told the committee he belleYed all homosexuals should be killed. Representat!lles of Jaw enforcement, lnduding then-KooteNI County Sheriff L.,rry Broadbent, human rights groups, civic groups and churches sPoke In of the bill. It passed with bipartisan SUPPort, and was signed into law on Marth 30, 1983, by then-Gov. John Evan~

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April 2021 - The Fig Thie - Page 3

Long-time human rights advocates say current times show need to persist

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• • Goddard.. a Mountain Home attomev who was the Human Rights Commission's deputy attorney gcoeraf fo< 17 years and iu director for 10, said the Aryan Natfons experience taught Idaho that the..re are extremes of racism... But I think i: also taught a lot of other knhoans about taking a look at oursetves and understanding that in many wavs, we share racist and sexist beliefs, because we grew up in a c.ountry that has those values, maybe nowhere near the exueme that the Aryan Natioos did, but we still srew up thinking that it wa.s better to h.ave a boy chlld than a gi,t, and that there were certain things girls were n't able to 00, and that maybe Blade people Just weren't quite as valuable- as white people. Those messages were there, and we're not going to unlearn them if we pretend th.at they weren't there."

Stewart said, •Thls is so offensive and Insulting to students to ~ we don't Wint you talking about your differences: or your OJ1tutal dtfferentt$. It is the height or disrespect for students of minority communities.'"

Plus, he $8td, ..tt is contrary to our hi$tO!'y,"'

"We started out wfth that terrible thlng called stave,-y," he. said. 'We abolish ed shvery. And 1hen, of course, >Ne had 1he period after reconstruction of segreption

embedded in t.he law.·- we started doing away with segre:gatk>n laW$. Then we Moved to the th.itd sta~ called tole.ran,ce. But that's not whe<e we should: stop.

It's progress. but .•. we've really arrived when we celebrate one another. There's a difference between to~rance and celebration."

8etSy l. RIJSS•ll ls tM Boise bureau <hie/ and ffllte capitol reporterJo, th• Idaho Press and Adams Pvbllshlng Group. Follow her on Twitter at !)BersyZRusse/1.

On Thu, Mar 25, 2021 at 11:41 AM Tony Stewart <tony.stew.1rtO roadtunner.oom> wrote: Be!Sj, I have att>dled the OP/ED

Great talklng with you.

Tony

"They eat what's in front of them," he said. "They're living with existential dread and nnxicty,'' he-said.

"Power, morai JuJgment and policy drive political parties,.. he said. "At this poi;,1, they are not interested in monil judgment or policy. They're interested only in power.'"

The first government ruling in 1869 that '·for-profit companies are people" led to companies choosing only to consider the bottom lin-aking moneynot moral judgment Nonn said.

He used the example of dumping dioxins into the Spokane River.

To a corporation behaving amorally, "it's 'good' ifit makes a profit," Norm said. 1"That's immoral. Our country is losing the battle to immo.rality."

Tony rook a different rack.

"I don't think we've ever been in this situation before," be said.

Democrats and Republicans could communicate once. Both sides used n1tional thinking. Not now.

"My father told me: When you're dealing with someone whose perception of reality is so opposite from yours, there is no struting point." he said.

Tony reOeetcd on the time that Butler and the Aryan Nations had a small following in North Idaho.

"A sociology professor from Eastern Idaho thought the task force should sit down with Butler and dialogue,'' he said. ··we couldn't. One bas lo work

with people who disagree. but we are realistic. lfsomeone has lost touch with reality, there's nowhere to go with dialogue."

Tony saw the insurrection at the Capital as on attempted coup.

Some who participated have said they now realize it was wrong. ·Tm encouraged by those who said, 'I can't believe I did thaL"' he said.

In seekin g to heal the brokenness, Marshall said that the truth needs to be told to counter the ties. He also spoke of I.he challenge of speaking out because silence gives consent. ''If we don·1 lell people the truth, they will believe the lies," he said. "We all need to speak up and speak out. Sometimes it's difficult, but we need to do it anyway. lo Nazi Ocnnany, they dido ·1 speak out. The United States is not Nazi Gennany, but it could become that. That's why we need to speak up and speak out."

Tony believes it's important to work with people who are open to conversation.

•·1 want to spend my time where I can ltelp," he said. "Why should I spend my time where I can't make a difference? I've seen too much. Ican see where one can be productive and where one-can't.

Many need encouragement and help building con6denee, so they can make a difference."

He referred to practices of Martin Luther King. Jr. He said that Or. King was in charge and

sett.be agenda. He would not let t.bose who opposed him change the conversation.

Tony then reflected on the years they were countering the work of the Aryan Nations.

"We would never attend Butler evenL~. We had our own events,'' be said. "People yelling at each other is never productive.

"We were never going to be confrontive with .Butler. The horrible treatment by the racists of Dr. King actually grew his moral movement. He never yelled back," Tony added.

"When working in human rights, il's a mistake to remain silent. but we certainly must decide our own agenda," be said.

Tony gave as an example the Aryan Nations' first march down Shennan Ave. in Coeur d'Alene in 1998. ··At the same time as their march, we held a huge rally themed "Lemons lO Lemonade."

We raised $34,000 for teaching diversity. After giving $10.000 to other buma.n rights groups, we gave a third of the remaining $24.000 away three different times to area teachers for diversity programs. receiving positive publicity each time,'' he said.

No r m believes in the importance of forcing political and corporate entities to think about moral judgments by asking moral-based questions.

"Every time a discussion

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swerves away, we need 10

reiterate, 'What are the moral Wlderpionings ofyour argument?

Where do they come from?'" he said.

At this point. Norm said, "We can't find agreed-upon objective facts. We can return to this by asking abo111 thc moral basis on which our political and corporate leaders make their voles and decisions. Everyone has to ask these philosophical questions.

"If our former president is

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indicced or goes away, much of the populace will go through a grief process, like when a denrly loved person dies,·· Norm continued.

"What comes out will be a new America/' he said. 0 rnto that space, we must bring the conversation 10 moral judgments.

We have tore ruse to ask questions except about those."

Tony summed up by quoting the late Fr. Bill Wassmuth, a former leader of the task force: "It takes time. Life is a process.

It takes day-by-day pc.rsisteoce."

When Tony once joked about being tired from work with the iask force at one point. Fr. Bill replied, "Stcwan, you·vesigned up for life. Get with it!" Now Tony says, "That holds for all who would heal t.be brokenness bet ween us these days: It's important to not walk away."

The task force's board has continued to meet each month since 1981, gathering representatives of Hispanic/ Latinx,Asian American. Jewish, African American. religious, Jaw enforcement, LGBTQ. student, veteran and education communities. as well as the Coeur d ·Alene Tribe. local governments and the Coeur d" Alene Chamber ofCommerce.

Thei~ goal is to promote human righis in t.be region.

It played a maj or role in passing laws in Idaho to combat hate crimes and promote human rights and in many efforts to challenge white supremacy and hate, including a legal case tl,at shut down the Aryan Nations compound and turned it into a peace parl...

They continue efforts to educate the community and school children on hate and on the legacy of Dr. King and to challenge discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations.

For information, visit idahohumaorights.org.

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Longtime

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Complaint against NIC could impact accreditation Civil rights, academic freedom issues cited

By MADISON HARDY Slatt Writer

Just as tensions in Nonh Idaho College seemed to be settling down, a complaint by 1 four regional human rights I task force boards bas brought the tnhtltuuon's accreditation

ellglblllty into question The complaint, dated March 12, was sent to the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and

CivU Rights Division of the U.S. Justtro Department, demands a full Investigation of the institution's leadership.

for NIC that we are not taking 1.lghtly," Laura Rumpler, NIC's

human riKhts and CIVIi liberties protected by the United States

Chief Communications and

Constitution, Federal laws, Idaho laws, and NlC policies Cor all NIC employees and

Government Relations Officer, The document was ,tgned said Thursday. by the KootenaL Bonner, The organizations l\lnher Boundan,. and Spokane County indicated that board chair Todd Human Rights Task Forces.

Bandu~I and newly elected trustees Greg McKenzie and It says NIC, more spec:lflcally, members of the NIC board Michael Barnes have created an adverse board majority. The of trustees, 111-e violating the majority. the complaint states, civil rights and liberties of employee& and students conducts itself in a manner "Thi» Is a seriou• matter that IS "counter to the ctvil and

students·

Pointing to several mstances throughout Banduccl's tenure

as trustee. the complaint argues that NlC has severely violated criteria necessary for NWCCU accreditation.

SMNIC,A9

co~tions and resolving not alI'IJJated with the issues to meet all the situation. However, as NWCCU eligibility president of the KootenaJ requirements."

County Task Force on McKemle said he Human Rights, Wood bas complete confidence said she recognized the In NlC's executive conflict of Interest and accreditation team removed herself from the to address the latest complaint Process. She concern as it did during said she saw the letter the last accrediiatlon for the first time during Investigation, which Wednesday's meetmg. was received during the 'Tm very disappointed 2020 campaign. He noted In his statement," that there are always Wood said. "He should two sides to a story, and be focused on doing affording each party its everything he can do to due process ts "what has assure 'the community made America great." that we will keep our "When Chair accreditation. Instead Banduccl's opponents' of sitting down and repeated attacks fail, focusing on the tact we they try yet another have a serious Issue, I angle," McKenzie said. they (Greg and Todd) "Their obsession is would rather go after not.able, and it appears the people who brought the material offered is it to the attention of the a compilation of past people." alleged accusations.

Rumpler said she is r commend Chair not aware of any past Banducci for bis accreditation Issues. restraint. "{President "As a member of MacLennan) the Human Rights acknowledged that Education Institute many are aware of the board, Trustee Wood's challenges that have provided claim of no led us to where we prior knowledge appears find ourselves today." questionable. NlC's she said. "He assured executive accreditation the college !hat he team has many years remains committed to of experience, and l doing everything he can look forward to serving to achieve a positive alongslde everyone." outcome."

Wood said she Is not The college has untU a member of the HREI June 11 to provide an ~rd and that HREI i!. instirutlonaJ response.

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Commission ilwt-'Stigates school's Board of'Ihrstees

By GN!9 Mason THE. SflQf:'f'..SMAIMl&VllW

North Idaho College's Stntus

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' North Idaho College's accreditation is at risk

as an accredited institution may be in jeop:mly as the North-st Commission on Colleges and Universities inv~stigntes a com• plaint concerning behavior exhibited by the college's Boml of Trustees.

The complaint, dated March 12, wns addressed 10

the commission and the U.S. De· •

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North Jdaho College holds regiorutl accreditation status from

the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

After Its investigation. the commission has scverru options

to seek compliance wid1 accreditation cligibility requirements. Jf the college is out of compliance, NIC runs the risk of lost federal funding, ineligibility to offer spe· cialized accreditation progrnms and the inability to gunrnntce to students rhat their credits would transfer to another Institution, accordmg to North Idaho College officials.

The majority of the college's

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partment of Jus- Banducci lice Civil Rights Division from representatives of the Kootenai County Ta.,k Force on Human Relations and the buman righrs fllSk forces for Spokane, Bonner and Boundary counties. The multidisciplinary orgnnizations work to oppose discrimination of all kinds in their communities.

The filing coils for the rwo nget1cies to investigate con• cerns with the conduct of the five-member North Idaho College Board of Trustees - particulnrly the majority formed by :Bonrd Chair Todd Banducci, Vice Chair Greg McKenzie and Trustee Michael Barnes.

"It hns become crystal clear under the new NIC bo:rrd majority that there is no opportunit)• internally to nddNss the harm to the victims or protect the civil righcs and civil liberties of the employees and students of North Idaho College; the complaint reads. "While we do not seek to undo the election, wo do expect nil member,; of the NIC board to

follow the law."

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professions

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including the registered nurse progrnm and the school's auto See NIC,2

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The compl:tlnt is the latest in what's been a sag,, for the college board over the last se\'eral months concerning Banducci, an eight-year board member.

Banducci has faced calls to step down as board cbair amid complaints of aggressive. threatening and unprofcs.,ional bebavfor toward the colleg,, president, employees and trustees. North Idaho College's faculty and stalf assembly organizations each passed votes of no con.6dence in Banducci'• leadership earlier this year.

The complaint refer. ences speci6c allegntions that have been lodged against Banducci. This includes behavior college President Rick MacLennan has said he's observed in che past, including how he reportedly saw Ban· duce! physically =ult • female colleg,, employee at o college-sponsored event in 2019.

With their filing. the insk forces a.ccused the board of infrmttinlr on at least three criteria re... quired by the Northwest Commission on Colleg.'S and Universities for continuing accreditation: stu· dent learning, non·dis· crimination and academic freedom.

The Northwest Com•

mission has opened an

co,nmitted to doing everything I can to achieve

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a positive outcome.•·

MacLennan was unnw ilable for comment Friday.

Christie Wood. a member of the North ldaho College Bonrd of Trustees, is also the president of the Kootenai County Task Force on Fl'.uman Relations. The issues involving Banducc.i rose to prominence when Wood sent a letter Jan. 18 to board members, in which she outlined the reasons she wllS calling for Banducci's resignation.

Wood said Friday she recu.,ed herself from the complaint due to conllict ofintereSL

..I think itts most im'"'

portant for our Board to rcntO\'C

oursclw.>S from

any con~ersations that suggest this js an attack on cons.,rvativc ideology and understand this is a very serious investigorio.n

by the NW Accn,ditation Commission.• Wood said in an email. "This investigation is based on inappropriate behavior of a Board member and we need to focus on corr-ec•

tive action that meers the standards of ocareditation.

'"It's our l'C$ponsibility as a Board to assure the Conmrission we will comply wid, all their re· quests." she continued.

"We also need to assure our community we will do everything in our pow-

e

By CRAIG NORTHRUP Staff Writer

MacLennan addressed the situation in a memo

ther comments until nny

decisions are made by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities or the Civil ltighrs Division of the u . S. Justice Department." the lead on n response, while task force,, said in o joint the president also indicat- statement. ed he will work with the ln past discussions board to provide <'Vidence related to the no-confithat the collet,,e is able to dence votes agnjnst the meet the eligibility re- board chair, &nducci and quirements.

McKenzie liave described The college has cr,iated the aUegotions against the a centralized web page for bonrd chair as concerted updar.e s on the status of attac~. McKenzie has the complaint. describoo Wood's allegn.,This is a serious mat- tions M possibly politicalter for NIC," MacL<:nnan ly motiVBted. $Sid in the memo. "1 am Banducei, McKenzie, confident our college's ex- Barnes and Trustee Ken ecutive accreditation and Howard did not immediplanning ream will 1.ead ately respond to a request us through this procos.<. for comment.

I know many of you are aware of the cballeng,,s GregMason can be mat have led us 10 where reached at (509) 459-5047 we find ourselves; I want or gr,,gn1@spokesman. to assure you that I am com seat Thunsday to collegc employees. He s:tld he has wked the college's executive acc:red.itation and plo.n ning team to take the

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er to preserve our accred ..

itation, and the integrity of our progr.uns for our $t'Udents...

A.<kcd how the complaint took shape given Wood"• recusal. Tony Stewart. secretary for the Kooten:tl County Tusk Fon:e on Human Relations, said the complaint came about after four to five weeks of research by eac:h of the groups in-

investigation into the complaint. Commission President Sonny l!J>maswemy said in a letter dated Monday to MacLennM. North Idaho College bas until June II - 45 calendar days &om the date of Ramaswomy·s letter - to issue an institu- volved.

"We reserve nny fur• tional =nse.

After two days of controversy, \ .

Senate OKs ~Jgher ed budget 'i i

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The unhappiness After a couple of stems ftom cuts made days of contentious to the appropriation debate In both the Idaho - approximately $2.5 House and Senate, an million in cuts to appropriations bill that Boise Stale Un1verslty, served as one oi the specifically - to fund last roadblocks in the programs lawmakers Legislature's attemp!s to fear promote critical race adjourn is finally on its theory and social Justice. way to Gov. Brad Little's Democrats and many desk. i:noderate Republicans House Bill 387, the wanted to pass a cleaner $629 million budget blll. while conservative dedicated to l\mding Republicans wanted to Idaho's college and see up to $18 mllllon universities in 2022. more in cuts, despite cleared the Senate Little signing HB 377, Tuesday, where it now which prohibits schools heads to Little for from advocating for signature or veto. critical race theory.

The bill was the latest '"We decided no education appropriation publlc funding should targeted by conservative go towards promoting Republicans trying to critical race theory or jam policy changes advocating for social into appropriations. a Jrust1ce Indoctrination in tactic that has delayed our schools." said Rep. an already-delayed Ron Nate, R-Rexburg. legislative &es$lon from ''That's what the law adjourning. says. That's the law in '"One thing I can Idaho now.'" assure: Every member, Nate referenced I think, on this floor Is advocacy and resource partially urihappy with centers across this appropriation." Rep. Idaho as evidence Paul Amador, R..COOur I.he appropriation d'Alene, said Monday as would violate BB 377, he Introduced the bill he specifically noting Boise sponsored. '"But It is the State University's gender appropriation we need equity center. ils mulU· to pass to cultural student services support our center. and its cultul"al college and and ethnic dl versity universities board. throughout Nate also cited lhe the state University ofldaho's of Idaho oftlce of multi-cultural and show support for Amador our Idahoans that are enrolled ln those institutions, to help advance their lives and create a better Idaho for our future."

affairs. Its women's center, it's LGBTQA c.tl'"lce, and simllar programs at Idaho State University.

"We've identified many situations at our universities where students are made to feel, based on the color of their skin or whatever social situation they're In, they should reel bad because they're part of an oppressive majority or feel bad because they're part of an aggrieved minority," Nate said.

Rep. Heather Scott, R·Blanchard, Joined in opposition to the bill, calling for the appropriation to be

~:7:i~:t~to folur

separate one for each school.

"All these centers and ' community , resources they put on campus, they Scott are doing what [Nate! just said," Scott said. '"They have 1 this crlti<;al' race theory [as]"part of the culture at lhe colleges."

But Chris Mathias, the1 only Black rept'eSelltativ, in the Idaho House, stood and gave an unpassfoned speech about the narrative that has been crafted about crl ti cal race theory and social Justice during the session.

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"Technic;J}ly, we're debating House Bill 387.''

Mathias, D-.Bolse, told U;e House. "Technically, we->re debating whether to appropriiue some money to ow· four-year institutions. Technically, we are debating whether we should further cut ...

"What T feel. however, that we're really debating is the question of how scared we should be of social justice and critical race theory.''

Mathias said he was both saddened and dlsappolnted by the dialegue that has persisted among Idaho's lawmakers during the debate over critical race theory, an advocacy theory that posits racial power Imbalances are so engra1ned into American history that they now permeate almost all facets of our lives. His voice repeatedly broke, and he had to stop and collect himself as be declared the fiscal war the Legislature has launched against universities will onJy hurt Idahoans.

"While they are not perfect institutions - l think we can all agree on that; 1 think we can all agree that we are not a perfect Institution - they do absolutely essential work," Mathlas said. "I fear, based on my interpretation of the months-long discussion, the thousands of emails, the millions or social media posts, our appreciation for our public post,secondary education institutions is dangerously low."

--;.-Good ladies and But while Mathlas emphasized the damage he said the right-wing rhetori.c was causing, he said the real danger is misunderstanding what social Justice means.

"Social justice, ~ends, is merely lhe social equivalent of legal justice," Mathias said.

"That's il Legal Justice ls the pursuit of fairness In the eyes of the law.

Soc.i al Justice Is Just the pursult of fairness in the eyes of society. It's a process. It's one J believe in, and 1 pray everyone here believes in it, too."

After Mathias was interrupted by objections, sending the House to ease, Rep. Karey Hanks, R-St. Anthony. qualified - and then retracted - that "good" students are being corrupted by critical race theory.

"I think we have a lot of evidence that this is occurring in our colleges,» she said. "This Is the only way we have to wake up those who are teaching this critical race theory. as well as other things, and who are actually driving some or these good kids - I shouldn't say good kids - driving some of the kids who have different ideas than the critical race theory. They're being driven out."

A visibly worn-out Amador closed the debate by saying that many of the minds of Idaho lawmakers have already been made up, and that appropriations are not the place to chan2e oolicv.

gentlemen, thls Is a budget, full stop," Amador said. "This ls not a policy bill, but we have bad a policy bill, and we have dealt with policy Issues ... Jf [HB 377] doesn't give you comfort that we're going to make changes in our higher education institutions, 1 don ·t think anything ever wUl" The House passed th.e appropriation 49-2.0 late Monday. The bill was then fast·tracked to the Senate floor Tuesday morning, where the Senate then bad a similar debate about what message the cuts in HB 387 sends. "lf you're a conservative white male Christi.an in the last 40 years of the Unl ted States like r was, l can tell you [indoctrination) was going on," said Sen. Steven Thayn, R-Emmett.

"Every once in a while, we need to make a statement, and I th1nk that's what this bill

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The bill passed 25-8 and now goes to Little for signature or veto. With most of the education appropriations now passed and either beaded to the governor or already signed, many lawmakers believe this legislative session - now on Day 114, one of the longest on record - will have an easier path toward conclusion.

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SHAWN VESTAL ''"'""'-''-''' SPOKESMAN COLUMNIST

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other board members. He tQld follow board member Christie Wood that he was going to '·kick (her) a.ss• and that bis. wife was going to .. bitcb·slap""

her. The board issued a pri· vate

c~nsure

for his bebaviorlnst Apri l.

He has been aggressive nnd intimidating with people all over campus, according to sev· era I sources - including the college president - and he agreed ro avoid contnct with a $tudcnt he verbally nnd physic.ally assaulted. ln sum. the tenure of NIC Board Chairman Todd Banducci has been a disaster for the college, its administration, its faculty, its staff and it.~ students.

Now his .actions have put the college's accreditation, and possibly some of it~ federnl funding, at risk.

The claims above come from a civil rights complaint filed with the Northwest Com.mission on Colleges and Universities and the Department of Justice by four bu.man rights task forces in the region - those representing

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If nnyonc's wondering about the real-world implications of the movement in ldoho to censor educators, cut school fund. ing as ideologicol punishment, and dictnte a curriculum of prowbite, pro~conservBtive views, look no further than North Idaho College.

A far-right bottrd chairman has deemed himself king of nil things NIC - the school's Ozymandias. Re leads n new board miljority of ideologues, elected on promises to "toke back·• control of the college and ro oppose diversity programs and teaching at the school. He brags that he's banling NlC's "deep snte," and bnu:uly injects bis politics into the performance of his duties - once insulting the college president's wife for being a Clinton supporter and confronting a staffer for making a campaign donation to a political opponent.

He has meddled in a petty complaint by a conservative student who believes he should have gotten a better grade on his anti-abortion project - bet· ter than a low A. He complained to the college president that another student had pledged al· legiance without saying "under God· - and iold the president, ..1 expect this institution will work hard ro make sure this never happens again.• He has cursed and yelled at

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"Our findings Qte based on the release of college emails obtained under public records requests, written statements from NIC board member Christie Wood, a letter to the board from NJC president Rick Mad.en"""• a resolution from the NIC Faculty Assembly ond statements from campus employees showing a hostile climate that has included bullying, intimidation, threats toward e mployees' job security, sexual harassment, llnd verbal/ physical assault; the complaint reads.

The complaint was filed in March, and the commission announced April 27 that it will conduct an investigation. It W'iU be looking to sec if NIC is meet• ing accreditation requiremena; on three criteria: that it does not di$Crimin.nte; that it supports academic freedom: and that its governing board follows clearly delineated bounds of authority.

Banducci is serving his third four-year term on the board, and his first as board chairman. He and the current majority took over n.her Inst year's elections, in which Republicans in Coeur d'Alene ran a c=paign against diversity initiatives and edu.c ation at the school - a sad irony for a college that was among the loude-st, clearest voices n.gninst

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hatred when the Aryan Nations \\"ll;, a regular presence in the Lake Ciry.

This movement to impose ideologicnl control over education. similar to the current ef. forts to put right-thin.king con• servatives on the Coeur d'Alene library board, is part of a wholesale commitment among conseryative politicillns in Idaho to oppose d iversity initiatives, multicultural thinking and any effort to teach about system racism or implicit bias. They're doing their best to whitewash American hjstory, deny the ongoing reality of racism in the national story and make the state's classrooms comfortable for defensive white people.

Banducci's time on the board - accordfog to many complaints - has wedded that ideological bullying with crude, real-world bully;ng. He did not answer an email seeking comment for this column.

MacLennan, the colleger.resident, told the board in a etter in January about several instance.s of concern regnrding Banducci, indudjng "the verbal and physical assault of an NIC employee that has resulted in ongoing trauma." The tosk forces obtained emails indicating Banducci had agreed to have no further contact with the employee.

"As the board knows;· Ma-

In doing so, they are trampling - or maybe- Trumpling - on the Constitution, on rruth and fairness, on academic free· dom, and on the ability of lda., ho's students to get a de<:ent educatio n. : The people of Idaho hnve to 6gh1 back against this crazed political irresponsibiHty - ju,t as they did by passing an initin• tivc to expand Medicaid coverage for tens of thousand• of ldohoa.ns when legislatou refused.

If they don·t, the bully board a1 NIC may be a s ign of the times for education ttll over the State.

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cLennan wrote, "Mr. Bandu·c-

ci's aggressive nnd intimidating behavior against this and other college employees has been we.II-documented over the time he has been a colJege rrustee.• These are dire times for education and free speech in Idaho.

Ideological extremists, led by the anti-edu~ntion. libertarian, inJluence-peddHng tdaho Freedom Foundation, have launched on explicit oss:tult o n the stat~'s schools from pre•K 10 graduate school - an attempt to replace history and knowledge witb conser·vati\Te propagnnda enforced and approved by the government.

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From the front

A6 I Monday, May 24, 2021

RluHTS

from A1

Du~ !o the COVJD. 19 pandemic that has spent the past 14 months shutt~rlng most large

gatherings, the task

for,-.e has not been ablo to hold Its past two annual banquets. It's an unfortunate side effect of the pandemic Stewart at least partially remedied Saturday, thanks to a minister with ties to the task force.

"It is with special thanks to Rev. Heather Seman. a new board member of our task force and pastor of the Community United Methodist Church, that we gather here on this beautiful day to recognize and honor five special individuals for their many contributions to society." Stewart told the crowd Saturday afternoon. "Especially our region ln advancing civil and human rights, djversity, inclusion and soc!~l

Justice."

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Post Falls Schools Superintendent Jerry Keane accepts an award and an embrace from Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations President Christle Wood on Saturday. " It was an opportunity to tell these people how important they are to the community," Wood said. "We didn't want to wait another year. These awards were from last year. For us, we•want to reeognlze people who work so hard for human rights and civil rights all the time. We didn't want to wait any longer."

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i\Jongslde task force president and Coeur d'Alene City Council member Christie Wood.

Stewart presented Post Falls Schools superlnten<lent Jerry Keane with the 2020 Civil Rights Award for his work to reduce bullying In his schools.

"Keane's decades as an administrator in the Post Falls School District included working with Ute Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations on numerous human rights Initiatives to combat bullying [and! establishing student human rights clubs."

Stewart said. "For 3.~

The task force also years. he joined with the awarded Judi Hanna Coeur d'Alene schools and Cedric Clark with and the KCTFHR to BW Wassmuth Memorial sponsor !he annual Dr. Volunteer Of The Year Martin Lnther Kin~ Jr awards for the time Sth Grade Children s they've donated to the Progrlll!I." task force. Both have Keane told The Press helped with fundra!Slng, be was honored to prepared the yearly accept the award, and human rights banquets that many people who ~nd the annual gala, all collaborated with him while manning booths along the way to help during the annual North curtail bullying deServe Idaho State Fair and awards all lheir own.

Rodeo.

"It's always special "l love being on U1e to receive an award task force,'' Clark said. for' helping people. and that's really what this is "It means a lot to me ... Where I'm from. all about," Keane said.

Virginia, a lot or people "I've been blessed to be hear things about Idaho, associated with smart about North Idaho We people willing to help talk about race, but I tell me throu~b difficult them. 'I've met some of times."

the best people up here."'

"Cedric's become just one of our closest and dearest friends," Wood said. "His commibnent to human rights was so clear and so evident to us."

Hanna was In Alabama tending to personal matters. but her husband, Dane. accepted the award on her behalf.

"I know how much she appreciates this organization," Dane said.

"I know bow Important she feels the issues we're facing today are."

The task force also recogni1.ed Ken Howard and Nomi Gissel on saturday.

The two attorneys were Integral In Keenan v.

Aryan Nations, the landmark trial that ultimately dismantled the Hayden Lake-based Aryan Nations white supremacist group.

Saturday's ceremony commemorated the 20th anniversary of the case that cast the hate group Into bankruptcy.

Gissel said the people who worked together on that trial - particularly Howard, Morr!S DeeS and the Southern Poverty Law Center - all deserve awards.

"That trial sent two messages," Gissel told the crowd. "It not only sent a message across the United Slates. but intematlonaliy. 1'bat is the magnitude for what

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United they stand NIC trustees take first steps after accreditation investigation

By MADISON HARDY StalfWrtter COEUR d'ALENE -

North Idaho College trustees voiced unanimous commitment to protecting the Institution's accreditation Wednesday night after a complaint by four regional human rights task force boards sparked a national investigation.

The complaint, filed by the Kootenai, Bonner. Boundary /Uld Spokane County Human Rights task rorces on March 12, demanded a full lnvestigat ion of the institution's leadership by the Northwest Commlsslon on Colleges and Universities.

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Within the complaint, the organizations cited !be actions of board chair Todd Banducci. vice chair Greg McKenzie and Michael Barnes as "counter to the civil and human rights and ciVil llbertles protected by the United States Constitution, Federal laws, Idaho laws, and w.o,soN North Idaho Collage n1l8IMe Ken Howard, left, and NlC policies for all NlC lbdd Banducci, lllkk1... alt with college PrNldent employees and students." Rick Macl.Mlnan during 1he monthly board fflNllnO SpeclficallY. the organJzations mentioned Wedneeday nlgM. the repeal of the trustee should be construed to In remedy to one of board of conduct policy, prohibit or discourage Trustee Christle Wood's the concerns presented commwilcations between by the .complaint. call for Banducci's board members and the trustees also resignation. NlC members of the faculty, unanimously v9ted to faculty and staff's vote staff, administration. reinstate an amended of no confidence for or community," Banducci. and a series of form or the board Howard read trom the conduct policy. harassmenl and assault JnJtially implemented amendmenl allegations.

Barnes noted that by the former NIC board As part of the while the policy requires of trustees In early institution's response. fllrtber review, he said 2020. the board conduct the board and senior restoring it signifies the leadership must provide policy - policy 2.01.10 board's commitment to evidence that they follow - was rescinded by addresstna dJ1ferences. appropriate policies and the current mmnbers "lt Is imperative In December last year. procedures. that stakeholders have In the written form.

"Our response policy 2.01.10 establlsbed confidence that the board Is strengthened by expectations of "etbJcal" and Individual board evidence. Where we members will fuUll1 their and "businesslike" have indicated actions roles In an appropriate and ()lture actions to be actions by trustees manner," Sarnes read when making public taken. we will need to rrom the response letter. provide evidence that we stalemenls and external NlC trustees also can actually fulfill those communications. plan to attend a tralninll However. some things,'' NlC President with the Assoelation trustees said, the policy Rick MacLennan said. of Community College limited lbeb: abWties Following the Trustees tbls summer to communltate with Investigation to assist with board announcement. !be board constituents. In a 3-2 development vote, trustees Wood and developed a response Other notable actions Ken Howard opposed, the letter read by Barnes Wednesday night: board repealed the policy.

Wednesday nighl • NIC trustees "The board recognizes Since then, trustees Howard and Barnes have unanimously approved that the complaint the $49.5 million 2002 on new collaborated references aUei:auons of budget that features no language to make the significant misconduct guidance more acceptable property tax revenue, by the board chair. $415,000 In new growth to the board as a whole.

Specific details of the Howard explained that returns. and a $12.97 alleged misconduct are million Increase in largely contained in two the primarY amendment state general fund communications received to the policy dealt with appropriations. by the president." Barnes interactions with college • ma.S-2 decision, read. "As such. the board personnel guidelines. trustees Wood and "Board members is committed to working Howard dissenting. the through the issues raised should be avoldjng board voted to not reserve by the president in order confidential $485.000 in unbudgeted to sat1sfactorUy address communication with property tax revenue to the scope of the NWCCU the NIC community, the forgone account. and nothing in here Investigation."

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NIC responds to· complaint National organization has 30 days to determine accreditation validation

By MADISON HARDY Staff Writer After a complaint from four regional human rights task forces sparked a national investigation into the Institution's accreditation, North Idaho College assured It is eager to prove its good standing in hlgher education.

NIC addressed the complaint and subsequent Northwest Commlssio.n on Colleees and Universities Investigation In a 16-page ~port intended to prove that "fr<>m an operational level" the institution meets or exceeds the standards necessary for accreditation eligibility.

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Accreditation, as explained in the "Responses to Community Inquiries" document available on the NIC President's Ofllce homepage, "assures all new and continuing NIC students that they are attending a quality institution and the certificates and degrees they earn are recognized natlonWide."

The complaint, filed by the Kootenai, Bonner.

Boundary and Spokane County Human Rights task fo~es on March 12, demanded a full investigation of the NIC board of trustees leadership.

Within the complaint. the organizations cited the actions of board chair Todd Banducci, vice chair Greg McKentle and Michael Barnes as "counter to the civil and hwnan rights and civil liberties protected by the United States Constitution. Federal Jaws. Idaho laws and NIC policies for all NIC employees and students."

Specifically, the oi·ganiiations mentioned the repeal of the now reinstated trustee board of conduct policy, Trustee Christie Wood's call for board chair Todd Banducci's resignation, NIC faculty and staffs

vote of no confidence a series of harassment and assault allegations.

These incidents led to the invest lgation of NWCCU eUGibJllty reguJ.rements of nondiscrimination, governance and :i.cad.en1ic freedom.

During the last board of trustees meeting on May 26, the board unanimously voiced their intentions to protect the institution's accreditation and address the "significant misconduct of the board chair.'' Th.e latter was described as "perhaps most critical to NlC's ability to correct all the concerns conveyed In the complainL ..

To facilitate a better understanding by the board of thek roles and responsibilities ,v1thln the coilege. NIC trustees plan to attend a training with the Association of Community College Trustees this summer.

"Without expedient actions in response to this concern. it wUI be dlfficuJt for the college to re-establish trust in the current board or trus.tees," Friday's response reads.

"Effective governance depends upon strong board leadership. An effective board advances mission fulfillment operates with high ethical standards and holds Itself, and all NIC employees accountable to the

JY•llciei:1and procedures 1t establishes."

On Thursday. the four task forces emailed the NWCCU to express their worry that the board had ignored the severity of tssues within the C(\l"llplainL ''If that ls the ca,se, It gives us grave concem that the .board - that has final legal authority and power over the governance of the institution - is unwilling to even address or give any conslderatlon to correcting what we believe violates important NWCCU accreditation criteria," the email reads. "Leaving the Issue unresolved."

Within the ne)lt 80 days, th.e NWCCU will review NJC's response to the complaint and decide whether Its content proves compliance with national accreditation eligibility requirements.

If NIC Is vaJJdated in Its accreditation. the matter Is closed. If not. the Investigation may warrant further review.

If the college is out of compliance, the NWCCU may take various measures, Including: • Giving the college a warning • Placing the college on probation • issuing a sbow-<:ause order The college would remain accredited under any or those actions.

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NIC Cootinued from l consultants from the Association of Community Collei:e TruStees. · The bo'll"d recognizes that th• complaint references allegations nf signifir.uit miscondoci. by •h 1," ard eh.,ir. Specific Jetai1" of the ,.lJt;;ed misconduct are large.ly contained in two communi· utlo!lS received by the board from the college presideut,• B~mes, reading from the jolut stntcment, snid on Moy .26. "As such. u,~ board is committed to wo, hing through the issues COLDI MULV-'NY(THESP0K£SMA>l·R£VIEW raised by the president in order to satisfactorily ad- The Nortll ldahO College Board of TnlStHS Is shown at a i:.t,ruary meet Inv to discuss dress the scope of the NW· Board Chair Todd Banducci, who was lacln!I calls across the community to resign.

CCU investigation."

Repr~sentntives with the Northwest Commission on Colleges nnd Uoiversl· tie• told college leaders in April they arc specifically investlgnting allegations associated with three criteria for continued accreditation~ nondiscrimination, governing board and academic freedom. The investiption is abo reviewhllr , relotcd media coverage·the commission received with the complaint.

The c ollege's 16-poge tespon.se, which was submitted lut week, was com· posed by the college's executive accreditation and plorming teom. During a board meeting loSt month, MacLennan said leaders were asked to respond as if the college wu conducting • full seven-year review.

The response addresses the allegations partly by citing established college policies related to each of the accreditation criteria while also, at points, spccificolly speaking to issu<'S raised in the complaint.

One such issue jnvolved concerns aired over email

by Booducci to MacLennan referencing how • student omitted "under God" while reciting the Pledge of Al· legiane<t during las! year's graduation. •1 expect that thi• institution will work hard to see that should never happen again/" he said in the email.

•J n the cues above, the impacted studentli have been informed by the col· lege of these incidenlS, apprised of 1heir right.s to address any related grievance, and given appropriateadvice and counsel." the college's respoNe reads.

"Some of the trustees hove acknowledged and condemned the cited behavior, but the board has not taken

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Representatives with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Univl!/Sities are Investigating allegations against fid ' · North Idaho College spec,flcally centered on the following ;:~Ju~ci~°ie~d~:shlpc:_:.~ three criteria for continued ac~redltation: nondiscrimination, lier this yenr govem,ng board and academic freedom.

The c,ollege's response Here ls how those qualifications are defined according to notes that while Mac Len- the comm,sslon's accreditation handbook: non ._. .._led {o,.,the • Nond1Nr".11lll•on: The Institution is governed Boar~tl!~~~P~.ll>UIItlnd!vidtJall!l.a tignte'1'1ie"liicidents mvorv:--nondlscnmlnatory manner~resPOndlng to'ffie ing Banducci, the board educational needs and legitimate clalms of the constituencies has not t:tken action. it serves as determined by Its mission.

The board did move • Gov.ming Board: The lnstlrution has a functioning unanimously last month governing board(s) respon.slble for the quality and Integrity to reinstate • board con- of the institution illld for each college/unit within a multipleduct policy that was re- unit district or system, to ensure that the institution's mission sclnded in December. The Is being achieved. The governing board(s) has at least five reinstated policy includes voting members, a majority of whom have no contractual or an amendment thar allows employment relationship or personal financial interest with confidentinl communica- the Institution. Institutions that are part of a complex system tion bcrween board mem- with multiple boards. a centralized board, or related entitles, bers and members of the shall have. with respect to such boards. clearly deflned North Idaho College com- authority, roles, and responsibilities for all entitles In a written munity. contract(s), In addition. authority and responsibility between ·Board men1bers should the system and the Institution ls clearly dellneated. In a be afforded confiden- written contract, described on Its website and In its public rial communication with documents. and provides NWCCU accredited Institutions with rhe NIC community; the sufficient autonomy to fulfill its mission. amendment reads. "Noth• Academic: Freedom: Within the context of its ing herein sb~t. be co_n- mission and values. tl1e Institution adheres to and maintains strucd to prolub,t. or _d,s- an atmosphere that promotes, supports. and sustains courage commumcaoons academic fre«lom and independence that protects Its between board members constituencies from Inappropriate Internal and external and members. o_f the. facul- lnffuences. pressures, and harassment. Faculty, srudents. staff, ty, staff, adm,mstraoon or and administrators are free to examine and test all knowledge community." and theories.

The college's response soid the •mendrueot is ·•problcmoric and creates ambiguity with regard to the inform the president about tarives from the task forces role of the boru-d aud presi- contact and interactions thar submitted the March dent in addressing opera- with college personnel; " 12 complaint reiterated tional issues an.d concerns." the response reads. "Ad- support for MncLennan, Namely, the response ditionally, the amendment the administration, faculty states the amendment oontntdicts the guidance and employees. supplants M.,cLennan's that it is 'imptOP"t' for .Emphasi:ting that the authority ns president by board members 'to inter- complaint was directed ot nllowing the board or a cede with students, faculty, the Board of Trustees maboard member "to inter- admini.strntors or ony oth• jority, the groups said in a vene and/or direct college er employees of the college statement n lack of action operatiol\s without the on behalf of any person from the board "gives us president's knowledge or or program without in- grave concern." agreement." according to forming the Board' (l'olicy the response.

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Greg Mason can be reached "It negates the guidance Responding to the col- at (509) 459-5047 or that, ·Board members shall lege's response, represen- gregm@spokesman.com.

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June 24, 2021 TO: Dr. Sonny Ramaswamy President, Northwest Commission on Co lleges and Universities FROM: Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations Tony Ste wart, secretary Spokane County Human Rights Task Forc e De an Lynch, president Bonner County Human Rights Task Force Brenda Hammond, president Boundary County Human Rights Task Force Craig Kelson, president RE: Complainants' Response to NI C's June 10 Report to NWCCU

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Dear Dr. Ramaswamy: Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the June 10, 2021 report by the North Idaho College Accre d itation Committee of the inve stigation by the NWCCU. W e have read and In detail studied the NIC committee report. We c o mmend those committee members for all the many hours that ha ve gone into their report. The flnal document is honest and c a ndid while addressing NWCCU Eligibility 7 Non-Discrimination, Eligibility 9 Governance, and Eligibility 16 Acade mic Freedom.

(On a personal note, Tony Stewart, during his 38 years as an NIC faculty member, served on severa l committees tha t drafted and expa nded NIC's human rights and anti-harassment policies.)

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Le t u s begin by once again stres sing our March 12, 2021 letter of complaint that was directed solely at the behavior and actions of some m e mbers of the North Idaho College Board of Trustees. In our letter, w e clea rly stated our support for the college's pres ident, administrators, faculty, staff and students.

Let us be clear that although the NIC Board of Trustees recognized and took some action regarding the NWCCU concerns as to the NIC governance issue, the NIC Board has intentionally refused to recognize or in any way act upon the complaints from our human rights task forces.

In fact, we interpret the .June 10 NIC Accreditation Committee report to the NWCCU as largely confirming our complaint and concerns. The same is t.rue of the resolutions from the NIC Faculty Assembly, the NIC Staff Assembly, the Associated Students of North Idaho College, and the NIC Senate.

A careful reading of the .June 10 NIC report in addressing all the complaints correctly refers to supportive college policies regarding non-discrimination, academic freedom and proper governance but then the committee repeatedly uses the words "at the operational level." The problems are not at the operational level but with the governing board. On page 13 of the college's report it is very telling when the report states: " ••• to date the extent of board response has been limited to reinstatement of a modified board conduct policy and a

statement of commitment to adhere to the statutory scope of their responsibilities, to a board training, to consideration of college constituent groups and to review board leadership roles."

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33-2101 through 33-2144 and section 33-2106) grants final authority and power for the governance of NIC to the board, the problem will never be solved by what the .June 10 NIC Accreditation Committee described as the "operational level."

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Furthermore, the .June 10 NIC report in addressing the reinstatement of the board ethics and conduct code raises the problem with the amendments to the reinstated code: "It negates the guidance that 'Board members shall inform the President about conduct and interactions ..vith college personnel'."

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Respectfully submitted, Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations Spokane County Human Rights Task Force Bonner County Human Rights Task Force Boundary County Human Rights Task Force

It has been our position- especially with media interviews- that the problems cannot be resolved unless the NIC Board of Trustees takes the actions necessary to correct the abuses. For example, the new board majority- since their election In November 2020- have taken no investigative steps or corrective action as to allegations of harassment tcward any employee.

Since the beginning of our involvement in this issue, we have strongly contended that since Idaho Code (Chapter 21, sections

If North Idaho College is to remain the great institution that it has been for 88 years assuring a safe place to work and study while embracing civil and human rights, civil liberties and respect for each and every individual, it will be up to external action from outstanding institutions that have the power to act.

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Commission asks NIC for report to show accreditation eligibility

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The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) has outlined the next steps in its investi· gation into North ldoho College's eligibility for regional accreditation.

In a letter eorlicr this week,

NWCCU President Sonny Ramaswamy said the commission has asked North Idoho College to submit an ad hoc report as an attachment with the college's 2022 nnnual report due by Aug. I, 2022, for evaluation and possible follow-up.

The investigation arose from a complaint filed in Marcl, by the Kbotenai Coun• ty Task Force on Human Relations and the human ri.g hts task forces for Spokane, Bon• ncr and Boundary counties.

Citing concerns with the conduct of the college Board of Tru,- (specifically the majority formed by Board Chair Todd Banducci, Vice Chair Greg McKenzie and Trustee Michael B•mes), the complaint cl,alleoged NIC's accreditation eligibility based on NWCCU crite.rin.

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The commission has asked for North Idaho College's ad hoc report to focus on a particular Nwccu criteria concerning the makeup, function, authority and r(>$ponsibility of an accredited instirutioo's

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D edication to Duane Hagadone The KCTFHR dedicates our 40th anniversary issue of our newsletter to the late Duane Hagadone. For decades, Hagadone Hospitalities has be;n a key f1nanc1al supporter of our annual human rights banquet a~d the Coeur d Alene Press has been a strong supporter of our work with Ouanes blessings.

Our friend, please rest in peace.

Tony Stewart, KCTFHR Secretary

Save This Date For The KCTFHR Banquet - Friday April 8, 2022 The rd annual KCTFHR Human Rights Banquet w ill be held on Friday, Apri_l 8, 2022 at the 23 Best Western Plus Coeur d'Alene Inn with the reception beginning at 5:30pm and dinner at 6:00pm.

KCTFHR Executive Committee Christie Wood, president Jody Hiltenbrand, vice president Ellen Stamsos, t reasurer Tony Stewart, secretary Newsletter Editor: Gayle Hughes

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• NIC Continued from l particularly interested in the commitment and actiom college administrators and board mem· bers have promised to take per a Board of Trustees statement from May, in whkh members agreed to readdress their leadership roles in relation to the college administration.

"The requested Ad Hoc report will be critical to ensure the College remains compliant with NWCCU's Eligloility Require· ment.s, Standards of A=edita· tion. and Policies,'" Ramaswamy

wrote, "and as such, will strengthen your efforrs to continue to fulfill the institutional mission to serve students."

Banducci has faced calls to step down as chsir amid complaints of aggressive, threaten· ing and unprofessional behavior toward the college president, employees, trustees and stU· dents.

Amid these concerns, the North Idaho College Board of Trustees underwent training last month with consultants from the Association of Community College Trustees.

Laura Rumpler, the college's chief communications and gov-

ernment relations officer, said it's possible the board could discuss plans to address the NWCCU eligibility requirement as early as next month at the group's next meeting.

North Idaho College Pres· ident Rick MacLennan, who could not be reached for com· ment, released a statement on the college's NWCCU investiga· tion webpage.

"I will be working with the Board to build on its stated co,:nmitment, as well as the out• comes it generated from the As· sociation of Community College Trustees guided board develop· ment retreat held in June; Ma-

cLennan wrote. "I am confident that we will be able to docu· ment progress on the referenced Board co,:nmitment and actiom necessary to meet this eligibility requirement." officers with the human rights task forces said they in· terpret NWCCU's response as •a serious requirement or mandate to address what we contend has been serious violations of the civil rights and dvil liberties of some NIC employees and stu· dents."

"Our sole purposes as a com· plainant is to assure that all NlC employees and students are guaranteed their individual civ·

ii rights and civil liberties and treated with dignity," the statement reads.

The statement, provided to The Spokesman-Review, was signed by Spokane County Hu· man Rights Task Force President Dean Lynch, Bonner County Human Rights Task Force Presi· dent Brenda Hammond, Bound· ary County Human Rights Task Force President Craig Kelson and Tony Stewart, secretary of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relatiom.

Greg Ma.ton C4II ~ rearhed at (509) 459.5047 or gregm@ spokesmmuom.

lo assist you in a review of the col lection, some of the top ics are: support for victi ms of hate; advocate for state laws and local ordinances; annual banquet; media press conferences and stories; human rights rallies, parades and educational symposiums; TV programs; consulta nts and keynote speakers across America; and successful lemons to lemonade campaign to counter the 1998 Aryan Nations march in Coeur d'Alene.

Listed below are references to articles, publications and videos by authors and producers that have covered the work of the KCTFHR: 1. Idaho Publi c Television documentary "The Color of Conscience: Human Rights in Idaho", Marcia Franklin producer (2011 ).

2. "Social Justice Leadership in Action: The Case ofTony Stewart", professors Kathy Canfield Davis, Mary E. Gardiner and Russell A. Joki, Journal of Ethnographic & Qualitative Research, Volume 3. Issue 4, Summer 2009.

3. "Leveraging Conflict to Achieve Advances in Civil Rights: Community Leadership----an Unfinished Work for Educators", professors Kathy Canfield Davis and Mary E. Gardiner, International Journal of Leadership in Education, 2016 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13603 l 24.2016.1 167961 ).

4. "Choosing Social Justice Over Hate: Two Stories of Community Success in the Pacific Northwest", Norman Gissel and Tony Stewart, National Civic Review, Volume 101, N umber 2, Summer 2012.

5. "Resist, Ral ly, Reaffirm: What to Do When a Hate Group Visits Your City", author Tony Stewart, City Vi sion: The Association of Washington Cities Magazine, July/August 201 1, p. 24.

6. "Countering Hate: Leadership Cases of Non-Violent Action" (A book by Or. Kristine Hoover about the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations) Kendall Hunt Publishers, 2020.

You can view the entire collection gifted to the North Idaho College Molstead Library at http://nic.libguides.com/ humanrights

.

The 40th Anniversary of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations Newsletter Summer 2021 Edit ion . .

lntr~uction to the KCTFHR Collection at North Idaho College

Th is 1s the human rights story and journey of the KCTFHR that emerged_as a cou~ter to a serio.us threat by the Aryan Nations, a band of neo_-Naz1s and white supremacists, upon their relocation from southern California to northern Idaho in 1973.

Aft~r seven years of a low profile and little public activity by the Arya n Nations, all _that changed in December 1980 w hen members of the group placed graff! t1 on_ the property of a local Jewish restau rant owner in Hayden, lda~o t.o mt1~1date and harass him based upon his Jewish ancestry. The next mc1dent mvolved an individual associated with the neo-Na · gr?~P targeting_ a bi-racial fa mily in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho w ith the inten~~f driving the fam ily from the community. . This is ~here t~e story of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relat,ons.~egms. Durmg the first week of February 1981, a small number of local c1t1zens met at a lo~al church in Coeur d'Alene and formed the KCTFHR. Th e ne"'.' human rights group committed itself to stand up to the hate and to organize through peaceful strategies providing a vehicle to oppose the threat and work for social justice. f r v A~ youdrea~ through the hu_man rights collection, you will discover how the KCTFHR has worked noati~ne~n~u;un~c~u~}~ ~iihiso~v,ctts malicious hrassment or hate crimes, address cases of discrimibut also nationally. e uca iona programs. T e group's work has evolved not only in the region

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Over many years I have had the honor to speak to large audiences of college stu~~~t~~~h~~ ~ii~~ :t The University of Idaho,' Boise State University, lewis-Clark St~~aC~~~~=:~~f~i~rf~~tor without an exc\pas well as a visiting lecturer at n~m~rous.colleges acr_os! A.~~l~si~e mission with written p~licies, curricula tion, that all these great academies ave in cobmmon ,sd ~;pects every student every employee and visitors to and diversity in activities that welcomes, em races an r , their campuses. . d hope for the future of our democ::c~.g~~~~~:~:i1:::~~~s~~rie~:i~~sd:~e\~:~~:e~\~':~a~~hea~:~Fc~ifie~ here.; our responsibility to teach and model what is requi red of us all and that 1s to respect an .va ue a . umanik. f b d I t ubl d by the growing negative attac s rom some

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electei~ffi~i~I: ~:::~. 1:~o':irJ.1 ~duc!tio_nal g°' curricula and programs t? (oster ,ntusr;{~ess, v;i~~~tf~~eut~:irk, learn and live. It ""'.i?e an unimaginable the emp_loyees, and pkrov1dingeda ~a \a n ·nari~ mission and policies of these great inst1tut1ons thus sending tragedy 1f these attac s succe in c a~gi _g .

I n er holds to the values that the message across Amderica that lhdahd? s h~gt herf ethd~~!:~odn:~t!y:~de;opliyfes that has been the Idaho way of embrace, celebrate an support t e 1vers1 Yo life. Like the crusadidg~_il~ I. ri~!e~;~;~~~al~:h~'!rtr: ~~~;r~yuiaiu°:~ ~~g:t:e~b=;~~r:J~=~~::~he :~~:f~i~;; ; iii re~~ly matter. 1wish to leave ~ach of my fellow Idahoans with these words of wisdom from the late Nelson Mandela when he once said: NTo deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity/

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Tony Stewart .

Secretary of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relat1ons

• Journey Continues for Human Rights and Social Justice From the earliest European settlements in the New World, there has been a continued struggle to overcome deep-seated bigotry, prejudice, hatred and acts of inhumanity directed at those persons who are thought to be different, are of a different race/nationality or perceived as less human. Historically it did not take long after the European settlers arrived in the New World that cruelty toward fellow human beings took shape with atrocities inflicted upon the Native American tribes as well as the enslavement of the African Americans immediately after their first arrival at the Jamestown Colony in 1619. During the writing of the U.S. Constitution, slavery was embedded into the document in four sections, only changed or voided by constitutional amendments after the Civil War. This can only be described as institutional racism.

Although I recognize the great historical civil rights movements and brave heroes that brought about major improvements in our cultural values leading to significant constitutional changes and statutory provisions guaranteeing the extension of equality and justice for many more Americans; however, the work of human rights for everyone is not finished.

Today we are witnessing an upsurge in uncontrol lable anger, violence and intolerance across the United States leading to growing victimization of individuals based especially upon lingering racism along with other individuals and communities that have historically experienced discrimination and have often been victims of hate crimes based on who they are. We locally witnessed such horrific acts including murder against some of our people because of their differences during the almost three decades the Aryan Nations operated in northern Idaho.

I approach this continuing challenge of these acts of inhumanity from both a religious perspective and the principals of democracy.

First, the tenants of the world's great religions teach us to be kind, compassionate, loving. humble and forgiving toward our fellow human beings. As one who grew up in the Christian faith, I recall Genesis 5: 1-2 when we read: "In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God ... " Second, as one who spent nine years at three universities as a student of political science with great mentors and then as a college facu lty member for 39 years, I learned to cherish the ideals embedded in a democracy that requires the citizens to uphold and protect the three pillars of a democracy: freedom, equality and justice for al l.

Global Human Rights Awards On May 28 at the Noon luncheon of the downtown Coeur d'Alene Rotary Club the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations presented its fi rst ever global human rights awards to philanthropist Gregory C. Carr, North Idaho College President Rick Maclennan and the NIC Foundation for their commitment to civil and human rights through the establishment of the permanent endowment designated as the NIC Gregory C. Carr Human Rights Rick Macl ennan Visiting Professor Chair.

Th e original fu nds for the endowment came from the NIC Foundation's sale of the former neo-Nazi compound that had been given to the NIC Foundation by Greg Carr. Following the establishment of the endowment, Carr added funds to the project.

Carr purchased the compound from litigants Victoria and Jason Keenan upon their successful civil law suit against the Aryan Nations in the 2000 court case Keenans v Aryan Nations in which the jury awarded $6.3 million to victims Victoria and Jason Keenan.

In presenting the awards, Tony Stewart, KCTFHR secretary, stated: "It is with great pleasure that the KCTFHR Board presents our first global awards to three such remarkable recipients for their steadfast support and work to establish such a significant permanent center for the study of civil and human rights that will have a positive impact that will reach far beyond the boundaries of the United States long after we are all gone."

Stewart went on to indicate that the award winners are heroes that will have a special historical place among those who will be honored and remembered for their advancement of human rights.

Gregory C. Carr Establishes an Annual Gift to the KCTFHR In the Fall of 2020, KCTFHR's dear friend Greg Carr informed Tony Stewart, secretary of the KCTFHR Board, that his Gregory C. Carr Foundation would award the Task Force an annual gift of $25,000 toward assisting victims of hate crimes, victims of discrimination and their educational programs and with the first payment made in the Fall of 2020.

Carr i5 an extraordinary philanthropist dedicated to human rights work and the wellbeing and health of humanity. He has projects and work not only across the United States but internationally. His fulltime work is to use his fou ndation to promote and provide assistance to organizations and developing nation states especially in Mozambique, Africa. His work includes preserving and protecting the environment, medical assistance and educational facil ities especially in Mozambique. He is making a huge difference in the lives of so many people. He became a great friend of the KCTFHR beginning with the 2000 civil trial in Coeur d' Alene between the Keenans v Aryan Nations.

Four Regional Human Rights Groups File Complaint Regarding NIC Board In a letter accompanied by nine exhibits on March 12, 2021 , the Spokane County Human Rights Task Force, the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force, the Boundary County Human Rights Task Force and the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations filed a complaint with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and the Civil Rights Division of the United States Justice Department th:il read in part: "requesting a full investigation of what we believe is a pervasive pattern violating the civil rights, academic freedom, and civil liberties of the employees and students at North Idaho College.

It has become crystal clear under the new NIC board majority that there is no opportunity internally to address the harm to the victims or protect the civil rights and civil liberties of the employees and students of North Idaho College. While we do not seek to undo the election, we do expect all members of the NIC Board to follow the law."

The human rights groups' letter also stated: " In cases when elected officials abuse their power by denying the rights of their fellow citizens, employees, or show no concern for victims, it reminds us of the Army-McCarthy hearing on June 9, 1954. Boston attorney Joseph Welch, representing the Army, having become frustrated from the badgeri ng by Senator Joe McCarthy responded: 'Have you no sense of decency'."

As of the issuing of this newsletter, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities has undertaken an investigation of the task forces' complaints toward the NIC Board.

Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations Issues Two Grants O~e of the important functions of the KCTFHR is the annual awarding of grants and scholarships. As of June 202 1, the Board has awarded the following grants for this year: Coeur d' Alene Tribal Grant Dr. Chris Meyer and the Coeur d' A_lene Tribe's Department of Education were awarded $6,945 to ~,und a 20~ 1 th~ee-week summer 1nt~rnsh1p camp for ten Tri bal youth ages 13-16. The project is titled Connecting with our Land, Integrating Modern and Traditional Epistemologies (CLIMATE)." . Th~ summer ca~p to be held in Heyburn Park and Crystal Lake, both locations within the Reservation, wil_l addr~ss proiected ?lobal and regiona l increases in temperatures that are expected to have d1sp~~port1onate 1m~acts o~ tribal communities that can threaten their cultural and environmental stability. The_grant will provide shoes, wool socks, hiking packs, Rite n Rain journals, first aid kits, meals, test kits, travel, and printing.

North Idaho College Minority Student Scholarships

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T~e Kootenai County Task For_ce on Huma~ Re_lations will partner with the North Idaho College Founda t1_on for the 24th annu~I fund mg of NIC minority student scholarships that begin in the 1998-1999 Academic Year. Each entity will provide $4,000, totaling $8,000, for four minority scholarships for the 2021 -2022 Academic Year.

The scholarships are given in the honor of former Idaho Governor Phil Batt (R) and former Idaho State Sen~tor Mary Lou _Reed (D). As of 2020-2021, one hundred NIC minority students have been granted scholarships through this partnership.

NOTE: These grants are only made possible due to the generous contributions from our benefactors for whom we are most grateful.

Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations (1981 - Present) After members from the Aryan Nations targeted a Jewish owned restaurant in Hayden in December 1980, Dina Tanners and I invited eight individuals to a meeting at Pastor Rick Morris First Christian Church in Coeur d'Alene the first week of February 1981 . That evening we formed the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations and elected Rev. Morris president. Within weeks, we recruited additional board members, had local attorney Anne Solomon draft the legal documents and commenced our work combating hate activities and crimes.

Our first task was to collaborate with several Idaho groups and officials including the Idaho Human Rights Commission, Kootenai County Prosecutor Glen Walker, and Kootenai County Undersheriff Larry Broadbent, to lobby the Idaho Legislature and Governor John Evans for passage of a series of anti-hate crime laws with the first bill enacted in 1983 followed by additional legislation throughout the 1980's. Our small organization, with no staff or building, did not anticipate ever becoming more than a local human rights organization when we elected Catholic priest Bill Wassmuth our second president in 1984, serving until June 1988. Under Father Bill's dynamic leadership, we reorganized. Then everything changed on September 15,1986 when Order II, associated with the Aryan Nations. bombed Father Bill's home and a few days later set off additional bombs in downtown Coeur d'Alene. Following these bombings, the KCTFHR's identity and consulting work took on a national importance.

Twelve years later, the KCTFHR would become even more recognized nationally and internationally as a human rights organization when KCTFHR attorney Norm Gissel agreed to represent victims Victoria and Jason Keenan following an attack on July 1, 1998 by Aryan Nations security guards. Gissel recruited the Southern Poverty Law Center and local attorney Ken Howard for a successful civil trial that bankrupted the neo-Nazi group in September 2000.

The success of the KCTFHR has been chronicled in three books, national and international journal articles, a master's thesis, a Ph.D. dissertation and a one-hour Idaho PBS TV documentary.

The most amazing comparison regarding these two organizations is how a small number of citizens with few financial resources had the faith to act.

These successful efforts remind me of prominent educator Marian Wright Edelman when she wrote: "We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.• Tony Stewart - Coeur d'Alene

Guest Opinion: Happy 40th Birthday to Two Stellar Groups . In !he year 1981 , two separate small groups of Kootenai County c itizens founded two remarkable organiza tions: Hospice of No.rth Idaho and the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relatio ns (KCTFH~). As one .of the co-f~undm~ board members of both organizations, I wish to share th ese two special stones on th eir 40th anniversari es as they serve untold numbers of people in their time of need.

Hospice of North Idaho (1981 - Present) Two angels, Kay McGruder an? Karen Yates, with a $25,000 grant from the American Cancer Society, recruited seventeen board member~ Including Bill Wassmuth as president founding the first non-profit Hospice in Idaho.

Kay. and K~ren became part-time employees as we initiated unique health care services for cancer patients and their mi.hes. It wa.s not long before the dream blossomed into what has become one of the most successful hospices in the United States due to the support of generous citizens and groups. Judy Meyer, an original board member and her husband Steve, provided free office space for several years; Joe Morris, another original board member and CEO of the Kootenai Hospital, provided vital support from the hospital; and Kootenai County churches came to the rescue with funds.

Mary Lou Reed, an Idaho state senator at the time, ushered through state legislation to qualify Hospice of North l~aho for state Me~icaid funds; our Board and staff successfully applied to become Medicare certified; hea~th insuran.c~ companies came on board; Susan Jacklin, a board member, launched an annual successfu l wine tastin~ fundra1sing ev~nt; Freeman o.uncan, an attorney and founding board member, drafted all legal docume~ts, volunteers ~oni and .Hu~h Smith opened a Hospice of North Idaho thrift shop in Post Falls; and over time maJor donors contributed s1gn.1ficant sums including Gary Schneidmiller's large gift in honor of his parents.

The ab~ve supporters along with other contributors grew Hospice of North Idaho from two part-time employees operating ou~ of a small office to today's beautiful campus with over 120 employees including medical teams annu.ally ~erving hundreds of patients and families with a gift of care and kindness in the same spirit of the first hospices 1n Great Britain.

fa

· t' " - there is . "h of the moral universe bends towar d 1us ice For those of us who believe that t e arc . . d' . ·nation and oppression. For those of us, still much work to be done-to eliminate pre1ud1ce, e~i~;1::ssion. It is up to us to cou nter the idea of. an specifically, who live in the N~rthwest, we have/:~rds. Let us uphold and honor the rights of the native "all-white Idaho" w ith our actions ~swell ~sou . I before a white man set foot here. Let us mnants of bias and discrimination. Most eople who loved and inhabited this beautifu l re~,o~ ongf . .

P h I and our inst1tut1ons or re examine our businesses, our sc ~o s d acknowledge the stereotypes and labels that 1,ve in our

of all, let us examine our o~~ thinking an we erceive as "different." minds and cause us to be cnt1cal. of those . p . k h in the next few months. If you woul d. like The BCHRTF will be holding an Ant1-Rac1s~~~~;F ~~embership is $1) by visiting our website: to join the workshop please beco~e a memdber o . f mation to our members about the workshop as https://www.bchrtf.org/join. We will be sen ing out ,nor it develops.

.. d Sanders Counties Montana Th KCTFHR welcomes residents of Mmera1an e that have formed the human rights task force:

Treasure State Values

• • BCHRTF Guest Opinion in Response to Hate Mail

The Bonner County Human Rights Task Force (BCHRTFJ sends our deepest sympathy to the victims of hate mail received recently by neighbors in our community.

We are appalled by the hateful language in the letter and the peopl e that feel empowered to issue such threats. The local Democrats have sent out a strong statement against the letter - and we are certa in that many others in the community-regardless of political persuasion-also condemn the th inking behind it.

The idea of turning this corner of the Northwest into an all-white state is abhorrent and unfathomable to most of us - even though this idea has been promoted by White Supremacists at least since the 70's. It's referred to as the "Northwest Imperative" - and has been the vision of the Aryan Nations, the National Socialist White People's Party, the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, the Northwest Concern and the American Front-to name j ust a few.

The hate-mail sent recently was from the "Northwest Front"-and stated, "White people need a country of our own for wh ite people ONLY!" It also contains statements wh ich purport patriotism, including quotes from Jefferson and Hamilton. However, most of us hold dear a vision of a United States of Ameri ca based on the Declaration which states "All men are created equal," and recite the Pledge of Allegiance to a country based on " liberty and justice for all."

We must acknowledge that those who don' t understand this to apply to everyone are certain ly not without precedent. Looking straight into the face of our history-we must acknowledge the genocide of indigenous peoples, the institution of slavery, the prohibition against women and black Americans voting, segregation, Jim Crow laws, the continuing lack of equal pay for equal work, etc. Yes - this too is America. And the ideas of whi te supremacy are still alive and wel l.

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Gifting of Original Posters and Papers

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·t Foley

t the Gonzaga University Institute for _Hate S_tudies and the Gonzaga Univers1y

A etter o d n Stewart reads 1n part. . ' Gregory C. Carr an To y I . t"ffs Victoria and Jason Keenan against the Library from "Following the successful civil suit in 2000 byNthe p;::p~und to the plaintiffs, the Gregor~ C. Carr . . th rding of the neo- az, c h K ans Carr ,n turn Aryan Nations resulting ,n e awa d and all the items on the property from t e een e~s that were

Foundation prc~~~fh~~~r:ci~~:f the hate materials including ~~:~~:n:n:,i;~~;:::i traveling _exhibit.

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~~~~::~s'ra~:i~;~n;~;o;~%;;~;;;:%~?ali;:;i~::~~~:i~::;;~ ~;~:~:~;1:i:;se originals to the above Gonzaga Un;ers1ty tnsovercome hate and all its manifestations.

Library to be used to study hate an ways o #

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Please visit our web site at:

https://www.idahohumanrights.org

Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations Award Ceremony Ceremony Opening Statement By: Tony Stewart Due to the COVID 19 virus, we have been unable for the past two years to host our annual human rights banquet including our award ceremony. It is with special thanks to Rev. Heather Seman, a new board member of our Task Force, and pastor of the Community United Methodist Church that we gather here on this beautiful day to recogn ize and honor five special individuals for their many contributions to society and especially our region in advancing civil and human rights, diversity, inclusion and social justice.

As we present these special awards to five outstanding women and men, I am reminded of the words of the late Congressman John Lewis in his book "Across the Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America" that is most fitting for today's honorees. In his eloquent words, Lewis wrote: "This book is for the people. It is for the grassroots leaders who will emerge not for the sake of fa me or fortune, but with a burning desire to do good. It is for all those willing to join in the human spirit's age-old struggle to break free from the bondage of concepts and structures that have lost their use...."

KCTFHR president Christie Wood and I present the 2020 KCTFHR civil rights award to former Post Falls School Superintendant Jerry Keane, the 2020 KCTFHR Bill Wassmuth Memorial Volunteer of the Year Award to Judi Hanna and Cedric Clark, and the KCTFHR recognition of the 20th Anniversary of the Keenans v Aryan Nations Trial to attorneys Ken Howard and Norman Gissel in "Recognition of Your Extraordinary Pursuit For Justice".

Keane's decades as an administrator in the Post Falls School District included working with the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations on numerous human rights initiatives involving school programs to combat bullying, establishing student human rights clubs and for 35 years joining with the Coeur d'Alene schools and tne KCTFHR to sponsor the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 5th Grade Children's Program.

Clark and Hanna have spent numerous hours as KCTFHR Board members volunteering on numerous projects including fund ra ising, preparation for the annual human rights banquet, the annual gala event, and working at the KCTFHR booth during the annual North Idaho Fair and Rodeo.

Howard and Gissel, prominent Idaho attorneys, performed key roles in partnership with the Southern Poverty Law Center in the 2000 trial representing Victoria and Jason Keenan against the Aryan Nations that resu lted in a jury verdict that bankrupted the neo-Nazi organization. The court victory resulted in the lost of the Aryan Nations' compound and a scattering of the white supremacists beyond the borders of Idaho.

was extremely bumbling 1,800 programs on area for a guy with so little PBS stations, relied on fonnal education."

Hagadone and Jaeger to from A1 For bis part, Stewart house dynamic forum and bad been well on bis way TV participants. ·'The Task Force ... to a PhD at Washlngton "One of the carrots to State University but, '1 let was successful In no get them here was to put small part because of them up at the lru:redible It get In the background because or work and Duane Hagadone and Resort," Stewart said of Jerry Jaeger," Stewart comm1unents," be sald in the local landmark that that Mizy 2008 article. said, referring to opened In 1986. ''They'd Yet the nlgbt before Hagadone's longtime then become ambassadors the big event, the lnends partner in the Hagadone for other blgb-profile Corp's Hospitality were talking - and once speakers and guests."

Division. "We bave this Stewart and Hagadone again, a key slmllarlty wonderful history of struck both men. even s1x>od together in aolng things together."

Here's how Hagadone front of 10.000 people In That history included May 2008 on a Kibbie put It '1 was proud to standing together against Dome stage In Moscow, be up there with Tony. the Aryan Nations until where they received His was an extremely the hate group was honorary doctorates ft'Om deserving honor, and bankrupted and cast out the University of Idaho.

I couldn't have been "With Duane and other Hagadone said be was more proud that of three business leaders. we asked, thrilled but "shocked" to doetorates, two came from Coeur d'Alene."

'How do we keep the stain get the degree.

With Duane, the more off of Idaho? It won't go "I spent sl.x months at away unless we confront the University of Idaho and glory to CDA. the better.

Stewart said. the bale,"' Stewart re(3)led. flunked out,•· Hapdone Hagadone was among the said In a Mey 17, 2008.

"He bad a gleam in bis eye when be said that." most visible leaders who Press article. referring to Stewart recalled with a confronted it. he said. bis youth. "Well. it's Ille They stood together ln truth. and that's what I told smile last week. showing visitors the depth the students when I gpoke over the course of their many years work.Ing of North Idaho's beauty. to them last weekend. together behind the scenes, both natural and personal.

But receiving the Stewart. who created and honorary degree, Stewart said be saw Duane ran The Popcorn Forum Hagadone said, was one of as most other people never during bis 38 years as a the highlights of lus life. could. political science instructor "He was a modest, "I was Just extremely humble and private man at North Idaho College, proud, and I was who did not put hiJl1self as well as more than emotional" he said. "It

FRIENDSHIP

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out ft'Ont but was always concerned about others," stewart said.

He said there were times be suggested Duane defend himself. like when Hagadone propo$8d building a memorial garden downtown that would have required closing a small section of the street In Jront of The Resort. Criticism of the project, which Hagadone would bave paid all costs for, was Intense enough that he withdrew the proposal.

"He didn't fight back. and he could have with bis media outlets," stewart said. "He let bis work speak for ltsel[" While Duane Is gone, the relationsblp forged by two seemingly disparate people lives on. More than that, it can serve as an example to others.

"It shows that people who come Jrom different backgrounds and different political persuasions can still be great ltiends and help others," Stewart said.

"With us, our differences had no effect on our friendship. Never once did It have a negative impact That's a testament to true friendship."

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Atale of bue friendship Human rights leader honors legacy of Duane Hagadone supporter of our annual human rights banquet, and the Coeur d'Alene Press has been a strong In some ways, supporter of our work they couldn't be more with Duane's blessings." dlfferent. reads the dedication atop On the 40th Booming voice, Yankee the Task Force's 40th annlversacy of the enunciation vs. soft. anniversary newsletter, spoken. southern drawl. Kootenai County Task which is now being Coeur d'Alene nattve Force on Human distributed. "Our friend.

Relattons, Stewart. the vs. North Cllrollna organ!zatton•s aecretal'y please rest In peace," transplant.

Hagadone was In a and one of Its founders, Major employer vs. position to help or bW1 Joined the rest of the dedicated teacher. advances on the local Business magnate vs. executlve committee to human rights front, pay tribute to Hagadone human rights advocate.

Conservative vs. liberal. with a special dedication. Stewart said in a recent Hagadone died April 24 at Press interview. Without But in all the key exception, he said, MIKEl"'TRICKl1'!... ways - In other words, the ace or ea.

Hagadone chose to help.

Improving the lives of ll>ny Stewart looka over a Praa article from 2008, "For decades. wr- ha and 0-.11:no Hagad-.,.,. -rded honorary others - the late, great Hagadone Hospitality bas been a key tlnanc1al Duane B. Hagadone SN FRIENDSHIP, A2 doctoral degraN from the Uni-.tty ol Idaho. and Tony Stewart could

hardly be more alike.

Perhaps that's why for so many years. Tony and Duane l1ked and respected each other so much.

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Saturday AugUfd 14, !Olf

'This place buitt me' Seven inducted into Idaho Hall of Fame; they credit people, place for impact on their lives only inducted 198 people."

Seven more Joined that exclusive group during an hourlong program at North COEUR d'ALENE - It's Idaho College on Friday estimated about 2 mll!Jon people have called Idaho home attended by about 50 people.

Each received praise and since 1985. the year the Idaho a plaque in honor of their Hall of Fame was founded. contributions for making an Fewer than 200 have been impact "in their communities, inducted into that nonprofit.

8IUBUl£Y/PIVS<, the state, the nation and in and for good reason.

"It's a very blgb criteria that many cases. the world."

Idaho Hall of Fame Inductee• on Friday at North Idaho College the Hall of Fame has," said Included, from left, Christle Wood, Mike Patrick, Robert Singletary board member Tony Stewart.

SeeFAME,M and Bruce Reed.

"Our criteria is so high we've

By BILL BULE'f Staff Writer

A6 I Thuraday, August 12, 2021

I

Northwest

ThePreu

Seven locals to be inducted into Idaho Hall of Fame on Friday Seven distinguished fdahoans will be Inducted Into the Idaho Hall of Fame at 2 p.m.

Friday at North Idaho College.

The nominees being honored for their outstanding service are: • Dr. Jack Riggs, medicine and public

service

, The late Fr. Bill Wassmutb, religion and human rights

Hall of Fame, founded in 1985, stands at 198.

Ada County is first In • Bruce Reed, national inductees with 47 and Kootenai County ts government public second with 20. service The ceremony will be • Christle Wood, human rights and public In the Edminster Shldent Union building, Lake service Coeur d'Alene Room, • Robert Singletary, history and the second floor. humanities The fdaho Hall of Fame asks those in The number of attendance to wear Idahoans inducted into the nonprofit Idaho facemasks.

• Mike and Sholeh Patrick, Journalism, free press and speech

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They were: • Dr. Jack Riggi,, medicine and publlc service • The Late Fr. BUl Wassmuth, religion and bwnan rights • Mike and Sholeh Patrick, journalism, free press and speech • Bruce Reed. national government public service

• Christie Wood, human rights and public service • Robert Singletary, history and the humanities They join the likes of baseball great Hannon Killebrew. Chief Joseph, former Idaho Gov. Phil Batt, and Barbara Morgan, former astronaut Reed. a Coeur d'Alene High graduate, Rhodes Scholar and deputy chief of staff for President Joe Blden, called lt a great honor.

"I'm bumbled to Join such a distinguished group," he said.

He said be considered himself the luckiest man on Earth to have grown up in North Idaho. the son of the lat.e Bruce Reed and Mary Lou Reed, who was in the audtence. Both. be said. were great role models who fought a lifetime of uphill battles.

He recalled fighting, and losing, some of his own battles. wGrowing up trylng to hand out Democratic bumper stickers at the county fair to cowboys wlth pickup trucks and gun racks. you learned about rejection at an early age," he said, smUJ.ng as the crowd laughed. "That has been a great blessing in my

political career...

Reed said the Idaho of his youth was a place where all people are treated equally, and that hasn't .changed. ' 1I learned that politics matter, but more 'important, it's not the only fhing that matters;· be said.

"In every way, this place built me," he added.

Reed. who also worked In the admlnlstration of President Barack Obama, said Idaho was a hometown that would make anybody an optlmlsL "Every time we're here, I ask myself, 'What were we thinking? Why did we trade Lake Coeur d'Alene for the swamps of D.C.?' But the truth is, we never really lefl" He said not a week goes by without President Blden reminding him bow lucky be was to have Idaho roots. "r go to work every day knowing we have to do everything In our power to turn the comer on climate change,'' Reed said. "So our children's children can skate in the winter ac.ross Cougar Bay. so we can finally get rid or tbls damn smoke and have our summers back."

Christie Wocxl a retired police sergeant. a member of the North Idaho College board and the Coeur d'Alene City Council, has given 26 years to the education of youth and adults.

She said she is grateful "for this opportunity to walk among the giants in Idaho hlstory and present."

Wood said public service. whether In education or government. is similar to being an advocate of human rights

and the quest for equal treatment for all.

"It's boon a natural fit for me to pursue both." she said.

Wood said she has more 10 do.

"I intend to keep paying it forward for many years to come," she said. • I have a lot left In me."

Robert Singletary, a historian. educator and musician, was praised as being an ordlnary man doing a-traord1nary things.

He said be has be(>n fortunate to work with kids and adults throughout his career, and credited others for helping him along the way.

"How did I get where I am?" he asked He said be was proud to stand alongside so many ordinary people who !nOuenced his life In great ways.

"It's all the people that do things because it needs to be done," he said.

Mike Patrick, managing editor of The Press, said his wife, Sholeh, Press columnist, was unable to attend and everyone noticed his better half was missing.

"Where's Sholeb?" he laughed as he recounted a common question people asked.

Patrick said he appreciated the honor, particularly as he recently went through a fight with cancer.

"I don't take any day for granted anymore. so to have lhls happen at this time is extraordinary," Patrick said.

But he said he didn't feel he deserved the award, but rather, those around him should get the recognition.

"I have been surrounded by the flnesl

Journalists I've ever worked with," he said.

He thanked the Hagadone family, which owns The Press.

"You don't have a decent community newspaper If you don't have ownership that stands by you every time you piss off somebody in the community, which ls about at least 365 days a year if you're doing your Job," he said, smiling.

He also credited readers and ad vertlsers.

"J! they aren ·t with us every step of the way, we've got nothing," be said, then added, "I know who deserves the credit and il starts with my wife, but it really is everybody else."

Riggs was unable to attend. The Coeur d'Alene High School graduate served in the Air Force. created North Idaho Immediate Care centers, served in the Idaho Senate and was Idaho's 38th lieutenant governor.

Speaker Freeman Duncan said Riggs was deserving of the award.

Riggs was described as "a local boy who made good" and "always doing something for the communlty.''

The Late Bill Wassmuth probably I should have boon Inducted years ago, Duncan said, noting the honor was well deserved I as Wassmuth led the fight for human rights as executive director of the North west Coalition Against Malicious Harassment and a leader of the Kootenai County Task Fo,:ce on Human Relations.

Mary Lou Reed said Wassmuth was a warm human being and an effective fighter for human rights.

"He really was very, very special," she said.

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September 10, 2021 TO: Dr. Sonny Ramaswamy President Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities FROM: The Spokane County Human Rights Task Force Bonner County Human Rights Task For ce Boundary County Human Rights Task Force Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations

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Dear Dr. Ramaswamy:

I

On behalf of our four human rights task forces after a m eeting last evening, I wish to inform you that we have decided to do regular updates to you and several other entities with respect to decisions at North Idaho College as it relates to a number of issues including the escalating COVID-19 crisis in Idaho with the epic center located in Kootenai County.

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This historical local COVID-19 cris is obviously also affects the K-12 students and school employees as well as the students, employees and visitors at North Idaho College with no mandated face coverings on campuses at any of the schools.

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This local medical crisis likely will in some ways be negatively impacted by the recent breakdown of the governance structure at North Idaho College resulting in the possible COVID-19 exposure to thousands of N IC students and employees on campus including possibly becoming virus carriers into the wider community. The new board majority, with an extreme ideology, refuses to permit the administration to address the crisis and alJow the college to follow the scientific and medical evidence available to decision makers.

•

Yesterday we learned that a significant number of NJC students replying to a campus survey have registered serious complaints regarding the removal of mandated facemasks resulting in some students withdrawing from the college.

We also have observed that there has been a further serious breakdown in communication and information sharing between the three members of the new majority and the two senior board members Ken Howard and Christie Wood. At the second special board meeting of the month on August 30, 2021 when a.II boar d members were present ready to convene, NIC Board Chair Banducci decided to delay opening the meeting as he met in a separate room with one of the three trustees forming his majority, then returned to the meeting room and once again retreated to a private location with the other member of his coalition while Howa rd and Wood remained seated waiting for the board to convene. Finally, Mr. Banducci called the meeting to order and changed the agenda by inserting two proposals without informing Howard and Wood of the change prior to convening the board meeting. {"pniin ued

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Kootenai Health at a press conference earlier this week indicated that the medical staff is close to dire decisions that include:

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The Press, Friday, September 17, 2021

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1. Give medical care to COVID-19 patients that have the best chance of

recovery.

2. Give pain control medication and comfort to COVID-19 patients that are most likely to die without having the proper hospital space and medical equipment to give them full care.

3. Kootenai Health is deeply concerned about soon facing inadequate space and personnel to treat emergency cases.

4. Kootenai Health has already postponed elective surgeries.

JiucKLEBERRIES

On the MSNBC Rachel Maddow Show on September 8, she gave national attention to the dire medical crisis in Kootenai County.

PERSONAL NOTE FROM TONY STEWART: While I was still teaching at North Idaho College and had been one of the founders of Hospice of North Idaho, I was approached by the hospital administration to become a member of their ethics' committee that at that time was primarily charged with helping families make decisions about a love one who was in the last stages of life (e.g., brain dead). I had to decline the offer as their meeting time conflicted with my class schedule.

D.F. Oliveria

- -

I cannot comprehend how this ethics' committee might be asked to help the medical staff work with a patient's love ones under this unconscionable scenario described above.

reverberates 35 years later BW Wassmutll was on the phone with a friend when the bomb went off.

On Sept 15, 1986, before midnight. someone llad placed a bomb, rigged with shrapnel, in a trashcan near his back door.

The blast shredded siding, blew out windows. crumpled

Today I wlll fax a September 8 edltor1al from the Coeur d'Alene Press that so eloquently sums up the moral and ethical responslbllltles we all face that certainly our task forces take on without any reservations.

a screen

Respectfully Submitted, SCHRTF Bonner CHRTF Boundary CHRTF KCHRTF

Bomb blast

door and launched shrapnel through a

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metal garage door of a neighboring house. A man two blocks away thought a plane had crashed. waumuth

Elght llours ·1ater, when I arrived at the scene, Bill was dazed and exhausted. He had slept an hour. Local pollce and the federal Bureau or Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms had combed the area in the early hours and let\.

BU! suspected, and later would be proven correct, that racists connected with the Aryan Nations compound, north of Rayden Lake. had targeted hitn.

Two years earlier.

BUI. then the priest of St. Plus X Catholic Church, had agreed to lead the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations. He and other task force leaders had fielded anonymous threats since.

Insiders joked that Bill was picked for the post because he was slngle and lived ln a brick house.

No one was laughing on that autumn morning 35 years ago.

As we surveyed the structural damage, Bill. then 45. admitted he was scared but wouldn't be intJmidated by the bungled attack.

Re wondered why bis assallant(s) didn't simply ring the doorbell. He would have answered and been more vulnerable.

"It was senseless violence and destr11ctlon," BW told me. "That's frustrating

- scary."

Two weeks later, racists set off three bombs in Coeur d·Alene - at the old

U.S. Courthouse, Gibbs Mercantile and Jax Family Dining. A fourth bomb, duct·taped In a tin can. was found undetonated atop the mllltary recruiting office, across from the federal building.

Four supremacists would be caught and sentenced for the bombings and other crlmes.

The bombs united the community behind Bill's task force. Such was the See OLIVERIA, C2

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outraged response that the city of Coeur d'Alene would receive the first - and possibly only community award for human rights from the New York-based Raoul Wallenberg Committee of the United States.

Bill would quit the priesthood, marry and direct a regional bwuan rights group. He was 61 when Lou Gehrig's disease claimed ltim in August 2002. He liv1KI to see a civ1l trial bankrupt

the Aryan Nations.

Something Bill said on that fall morning remains with me. It captures the spirit of the bowed but unbeaten

bwnan rights warrior.

Sifting through the damage, be paused, smiled sadly, and described the incident "as an attempt to remodel my house."

- · CC>Wlooy .. No,11, lcoho College

According to emails acquired through public Information requeata and direct contact, North Idaho College Boerd ol TruSIN members might lace personal llnanclal risk If they terminate the college PrNldent Rick Maclennan'• contract without legitimate cause. Action on the contract ..-11a tabled unlll lhe next board ·mffllng Wednesday at the earliest.

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Trustee: Firing president . could backfire

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.!!'~':!.~, I Public~comment not on NIC agenda

By HANNAH NEFF

Slaff Writer

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The audience might hear the NIC board or trustees· decision on President Rick MacLennan's controct ne,<t Wedne,sday.

What the audience won't hear is anything ftom the audience.

Once again, Todd Banducci. chair of the college's governing board. has removed the pubUc comment portion from the meeting agenda, college officials conflnned Friday.

Since .Banducci took over as chal.r about a year and a half ago - which also was about when the pandemic hit - the public comment period has disappeared.

HANNAH NEFF/Pless

From left, 19-year-old NIC atudenb Kaylee Brown and Alelln .....,eecty

See NIC, AS prepare artlcles for the college student,,_ organization, the NIC Sentinel

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Wood warns in email that board members could be held personally liable in lawsuit

By HANNAH NEFF

Staff Writer Email between North Idaho College trustees might explain why President Rick MacLennan was not fired. as expected, last month.

According to email acqum!d through public informaUon requests and direct contact, board members might race personal MKLennan nnancial risk should they terminate the college's president without legitimate cause.

Trustee Christle Wood said she believed Board Chair Todd Banduccl's "reckless" actions resarding MacLennan's contract could have consequences not just for the college, but to the board members. as well "l have felt for quite some tlm.o that Trustee Banduccl's actions have put the college at risk for litigation," Wood COEUR d'ALENE -

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In an Aug. 30 email to Banducci and the board. Wood wrote that

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whlcb Banducci ~ refuted. ~ "You are from A1 -'- l Incorrect in your wrote In an emaU to assertion/ The Press on Tuesday.

ICRMP fact," "Trustees can be attorneys Wood Banducci Banducci personally sued as well." said responded In Action on renewal of Banducci personally an email.

MacLennan's contract rejected the Scott Olbham. claims has been on the meeting organization's offer to manager at ICRMP. told agenda since Aug. 4, advise the board oa the Toe Press It's possible tabled In that meeting as president's COll8'8Ct. that board members might well as on Aug. 26 and ''Through yonr be personally financially Aug. 31. reckless actions board responsible when ICRMP The matter ls tabled members could very has paid outagain until Wednesday, likely face personal "There could be the next board meeting, financial rtsk as well Instances," Olbham said. at the earliest. as asset risk to the "ICRMP does not Insure In an Aug. 27 email Institution," Wood wrote for every eventualit~·." to tbe board. Wood In the same email.

Olbham said every wrote that she believed "It's outrageous you case Is compared Banducci, the board reject legal advice (on Individually against the chair, Intended to behalf of the board!) of policy and the coverage take action to remove our Insurance carrier determination Is made Mac!Annan and our own college based on the allegations Woo<\ reques!ed the attorney." made In ihat indiVidual board 1neet with the In a second email lawsuit. college's Insurance on Aug. 30, Wood "If there Is a carrier, Idaho Counties wrongful discharge, and said Banducci ref\lsed Risk Management ICRMP's oll'er to meet President McLennan Is Program - ICRMP with the board to discuss successM. then !CRIMP for t onsultatlon before would have to pay ihe ta.1<ing any board action. the president's contract

TRUSTEE

• Judgment under most circumstances," Trustee Ken HowaN said. "There are a few circumstances where the trustees themselves may have to pay, but most of the circumstances are where ICRIMP would have to pay."

Other consequences ex.1st for a possible MacLennan lawsuit against NlC for wrongful termtnat1on. acoordtng to

"I am not

In favor of dismissing the president," Howard said. "I don't

see any

basis for Howard doing It." Howard said he thlnks dismissing MacLennan would be a bad move as he has done a good job running the college and finding a new president Wood. would be a challenge.

"Our Insurance ·•u just makes no provider bas a long sense to me but we'll standing request to have to see what happens discuss any possible with the other three risks for litigation with (trustees)," Howard said. them before negative NIC faculty and staff action Is taken," Wood members passed a joint wrote ln an email to resolution In support or the board on AUg. Ti. MacLennan on Aug. 26, "If we act with reckless calling hlm .. a cl)amplon disregard that causes of education opportunity a financial burden to and an ambassador for ICRMP ihey will likely entrepreneurship In drop our coverage."

Idaho."

Howard said he Is also North resolution called concerned about possible on The the board to renew consequences with the president's contract. !CRMP should they have According to the to pay out.

employment contract with MacLennan, Jf a majority of the board elects to terminate the president without cause, NIC agrees to pay the president 12 months of salary and benefits or the remainder of the term of the contract, whichever Is less. MacLennan·s contract has about a year and a half remaining.

- -

H1s annual base salary

Is $218.325.

The contract also 's pe).ls out what would constitute dismissal for

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to perform the essential

functions of the position: or (5) the Pn!sident has to the

detriment of NIC."

In an Aug. 30 emau to Banducci and the board.

Wood said she was told dlrecUy from ICRMP that the only thing problematic foe the board are the actions of the chair.

The Press attempted six times over four days to reach Banducci for comment. He did not

respond. Trustees Greg

McKenzie and Michael Barnes also did not respond for commen1.

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According to section 9.4, "the Agreement.may be terminated for cause, if a majority of the Board In its sole discretion,

acted in bad faith

Here's what might be paralyzing NIC trio board chair Todd Banducci looked like a fish M out of water.

cause.

determines that (1) the President has signUlcanUy failed or refused to act In acco,'dan<,e with a material provision of this Agreement or any d lrectlve or order of the Board; (2) the President has exhibited gross misconduct or dishonesty In regard to his employment; (3) the President is (or has been) convicted of a crime involving dishonesty, breach of trust. or physical or emotional harm to any person; (4) the President Is unable

Editorial

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Much has been made of the latest and not greatest trustee meeting, when a clearly befuddled board prepared to decide the future of NIC President Rick MacLennan - and then haltingly decided to table · tbe matter.

Again. That Aug. 31 meeting was the third in August alone when the board planned to take some sort of action on MacLennan's contract, which has been dangling in limbo since May, but didn't.

A series of email exchanges acquired this week

by The Press offers some possible insight into wh y the board's majority - Banducci, Greg McKenzie and Michael Barnes - were suddenly unwilling or unable to flex their far.right muscles and either rid the college altogether of MacLennan or at least send him a strong no-confidence message by refusing to extend his cont1·act.

MacLennan, who haS publicly aired his grievances with Banducci, remains under contract for roughly a year and a half. Normally, presidents operate on an annual renewal that results in an ongoing three-year contract.

According to infonnation gathered from the email exchanges and the newspaper contacting the college's insurer, Banducci & Co. might suddenly have learned that if they fire M.acLennan and he successMlY sues for wrongful termination. they, personallY, could be forced to pay. For many an elected official, that could be an instant game changer.

One of the easiest things for elected officials to do is to act in an irresponsible way that leads to a lawsuit. Just ask the Idaho Legislature, where citizens are now an the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal bills because legislators defied their own legal counsel's advice and adopted an msanelY restrictive law on citizen initiatives.

And that's the point: In most cases. elected officials are gambling with taxpayers' money, not theil" own. Taxpayers pay for the lost lawsuits dlrectly or through the entitY's insurance rates going up - or both - and in the case of NIC, the burden also is bornU.Y stud.ents.

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NIC president since 2016 fired despite letter of support from faculty, staff Board chair who's face.cl complaints from college commwl.ity leads vote

By Greg Mason THE SP0K2SMAIM!£VIIW

Months of Strife between the North Idaho College Board of ~ and the college's president, Rick MacLennan, came to a be~d Wednesday night when a board majority fired Mac.Lennan without cause, effective by the end of the day Thursday.

1'he board voted 3-2 to terminate MacLenrutn, who bas served as North Idaho College's president since 2016. The majority who voted in favor - Board Chair Todd Banducci, Vice Chair Greg McJ<enzie and Trustee Michael Barnes - did not qualify their votes.

Banducci has faced complaints from the presi-

dent and others in the college community of aggressiver unMacl.ennan professional and threatening behavior. The complaints have led to an investigation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

Trustee Christie Wood said the firing was "retaliation" for the complaints.

As the board worked through the motion to fire MacLennan.

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So whaflncentive wouJd board members have to act responsibly? Well, plenty if the bill for a milliondollar wrongful termination judgment landed in their personal mailboxes.

Granted, it's still speculation at this p0int because most of the board chatter behind MacLennan's back is taking place in closed session. Maybe the lights will come on soon, though. The board has scheduled yet another meeting this Wednesday, ostensibly to decide what to do with the college's leader.

It's not too late for them to do the right thing, which would keep NIC strong and taxpayers from regretting having elected the wrong people to oversee the institution.

Avoid a big lawsuit, no matter who ends up paying. Extend Rick MacLennan's contract and work together to find ways to make an excellent community college even better.

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NIC Continued from 1 11anducci did not allow.the president to speak.

"Trustee Banducci, you have bullied me for a long time, and you att doing it again," Mac:Lennan interjected at one point.

Earlier in the meeting. representatives from the college's faculty and staff groups indicated their support for the president in a joint letter.

Macl.ennan's contract stipulates he will be paid a year's salary, plus benelil:$, with t.h e termination. Chris Martin, vice president for finance and business al£airs, said the college has Mac.Lennan's salary budgeted through the end of June; the remainder would have to come out of the college's unallocated fund balance.

MacLennan's current salary is $222,69LS6.

Wood and fellow trustee Ken Howard strongly opposed Macl.ennan's dis-

missal Both cited the support MacLennan bu received &om faculty and staff

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ident's job is to run this institution, and he doesn't have to run it so that everybody likes him. He has to run it so he does a good job."

After Mac:Lennan was 6red, the majority moved to appoint Vice President for Instruction Lita Burns as acting president. The move surprised Burns, who thanked trustees for their apparent trust in her. She said she would like to discuss the tenns of the positioll wi.t hin the next day.

Bums was technically appointed even before MacLennan's termination was effective, prompting the board majority to walk it back and amend It appropriately.

Howard asked whether Burns is goingto be paid more. The.terms of Burns' interim appointment were not resolved; trustees had discussions following th" vote to set a special meeting to hash out those terms as soon as possible.

"She's just going to take on the mantle on a short-term basis as an acting president," Banducci said Wood ab~ained, saying"l don't want any part of your process." The move was made even though the board had not discussed the issue with Burns, Wood said "You just continually tty to cram thins;s thro~ the hard way," Wood said. "Why can't you ever do it legally?

Wby can't you ever follow policy?"

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across the college_ "This is a train wreck for the rest of the trustees." Wood said. "We have personal Uabllify that you're brlaa!lnJ( upon us with this motion. It doesn'tnine any sense at all to remove tbis president.• Howard added. "The fact that there are personality dift'erences is not area- Greg Mason can be reached at (509) SQ.n to dis11U$S the president. The pres- 459-5047 or ~ -n@spokesman,<<!!!!,

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7.oom, verbally voiced their opinions while the vote t:ook place at t:,h e board meeting Wednesday night.

Coeur d'Alene resident Sharl Williams was escorted from the room after addressing Banducci reganllng what she SHid was bullying of the college president.

Several members of the audience stood and clapped for MacLennan as the board stepped away for a short recess.

"I find this unsettling because I know the effect that It's having on the faculty and staff and the institution and the people who love this Institution,'' Howard said.

"The fact that there are personality differences is not a reason to dismiss the president."

According to the president's contract, NIC agrees to pay MacLennan 12 months of salary and benefits or the remainder of the term or the contract. whichever is less.

The contract reads, "Tbls provision sball be construed as liquidated damages, and not as a penalty. to compensate the President for the il\iW'Y by reason of such termination, it being impossfble to ascertain or estimate the entire or exact cost. damage or ittjW'Y that the President may sustain by reason or such termination and such sum is agreed upon as full compensation for the ittjW'Y or damage suffered by the President."

MacLennan's contract bas about a year.and-a· baJf remaintng.

His CWTent annual

salarY is $222,69L56.

Chris Martin. vice president f()r finance and business affairs, said the president's salary is currently budgeted through June of 2022.

If th.e re was addltlonal funds needed to cover a salary for an interim president on top of paying out MacLennan's contract. board approval would be sought to use reserve funds.

"Ta.,cpayers tonight will just write a check for over Wood said.

Howard requested to an1end the motion to move the termlnation out two months to allow time for the institution to find a new president.

The motion failed. with Banducci, Barnes and McKenzie voting against Lita Burns, vice president for Instruction, was voted in by the board to stand In as acting president once MacLennan's contract is terminated at the end of today, with Wood abstaining from voting.

"The termination of Dr. MacLennan will leave a void In the college and In this community," said Sarah Martin. chair of staff assembly. "After attending tonight's meeting, 1 sense the fear and anxiety that have been previously felt by some staff will Increase."

Action on renewal of MacLennan 's contract had been on the meeting agenda since Aug. 4, tabled th.r ee times In each board meeting since then.

Emails acquired through public information requests state board members might face personal financ.i al risks should they terminate MacLennan's contract without legitimate cause, a possible explanation for why th.e matter was previously tabled.

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A crowd ol OY11r 100 people In penon and OY11r 200 on Zoom watched u college President Rick Macl.ennan's contract waa terminated at the board meeting Wednesday night at North Idaho Collage.

North Idaho Collage board ol truatchair Todd Banducci, left, voted to terminate college Prffldent Rick Uacl.ennan'a contract In a motion that p8SHd Wednesday night at the board meeting on NIC'a main campus.

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The decision to oust former college President Rick MacLennan has left many wondering about the future of NIC. A4-0 vote at the North Idaho College Burns board of trustees meeting Wednesday called for Vice President of Inside Instruction Lita Burns • NIC trustees to step to meet, into the authorize presidency presidential role search at temporarily, 1 p.m. today. though / A8 the details weren't finalized. Trustee Christie Wood abstained.

"I hope you've noticed how difficult it is for me to hide my appreciation and admiration for Dr. Burns," MacLennan said in an email Thursday to NIC employees. "She is the right person for this next stage of your journey."

MacLennan said Burns bas his unequivocal support as acting president.

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Erin Davia, a North Idaho College English professor, gives Rk:k Maclennan a hug during a show of support by about 100 people on hla laat ay as NIC president on Thursday.

Rick Maclennan loou at the crowd 1hat came to wish him well outside his offlc:e at Nor1tl Idaho College on Thurlday.

Supporters cheer fired NIC leader on his last day

By BILL BULEY Staff Writer COEUR d 'ALENE When Rick MacLennan walked out of his office on his last day ns president or Inside North Idaho College on • NIC trustee: Thursday. 'lwtlpush a waiting back against crowd of some1aws· about 100 let I AB him know they wished he could stay.

They cheered.

They applauded. 'l'bey whooped and hol.l cred. '!'hey held signs thst read "We made n great team." "Adventure North Idaho College cuatodlan Al Clayton, right, awaits" and "You're shakes hands with Rick Maclennan on Thursday

awesome...

When they finally quieted on a cool evening, a visibly touched MacLennan look II few steps ln front of the Sherman Building. held up bis phone to record those around him, and paused as he stru8111ed to gel the words Out Then be smiled and

during e ahow of support for the outgoing president on hit laat day In the office.

srud, "Obviously you have too m ucb time on your hands."

They cheered some more.

"This Is pretty cool," be said Among them was Evie Scrabeck, NlC custodian.

She said MacLennann did a good Job in his five years as president.

"Who else comes up and hugs strangers and backs the students?" sbe said. "He comes to every function that we have.

Even if we have a small

"I don't really even have the words for it I'm overwhelmed. ...

Everybody cares about everybody and what we do.

They care about each other and I guess they care about me."

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loonerpresidlrtd lb'll ldm C<*!ge f\mctlon, he's there."

Scrabeck said MacLennan did hls Job "100%" and she was sorry to see him go.

"I think the whole aunpus is," she said See MACLENNAN, A9

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NIC tnistees voted 3-2 on Wednesday to terminate MacLennan's contract by the end of Thursday.

He declined to comment on the board's actions. but said he appreciated the farewell he received from sta!T, students and friends.

"I don't really even have the words for it," he said. "I'm overwhelmed. I think it says a lot about this college and what a community It Is. Everybody cares about everybody and what we do. They care about each other and I guess they care about me.· MacLennan walked around shaking hands, hugging and talking with the men and women who rallied to his side "I wish you all well. I really do," he said. ·rm sorry It came to this.

You're a gi•eat group or people."

"You've got each

others' backs. You're going to be Just flne," he added.

One woman. Kim. who declined to give her last name, held a sign that read, "When they went low, you went high." " I feel that he was llred unjustly," she said. "He's been transparent, fair. honest. He led with Integrity. You couldn' t ask for more."

Al Clayton, another NIC custodian. shook MncLennan's hand and wished him well.

"I think he got a raw deal. It was polltlcs. pretty much," he said.

Andy Finney, who doot video work on campus, held a sign that read. "O Captain!

My Captain'" He said he worked with several presidents ln his 25 years there and said MacLcnnan was "probably one of the best we've had. And Just the way that th.is all came about Is going to be talked aboul for a long time. l don't agree with the way It came ln."

Erin Davis. an NIC

English professor. gave MacLennan a hug.

She said he excclled al fostering the talents of those around him and letting them do their best work. " I wanted to show support for a president who has done an excellent Job for this college and who has just devoted himself to the s uccess of students and supported faculty and staff all the way," she said.

Blythe Buchan, an NIC associate professor or nursing. said MacLennan supported the Importance of science.

She said he fought the good llght when 0U1ers would have walked away "He was always super supportive or nursing and hcruth prof-Ions."

Buchan said.

MacLennan said he was going to be around.

"So lf I can help you with anything, J hope you'll let me know,· he said. then adding with a laugh, "I may be asklng you for betp."

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"I personally believe in that side of politics, but I also believe that as

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Bums said she hadn't participated In the decision, but thanked the board for Its ir\teres! In her. Bums said she didn't think it was appropriate to discuss ibe matter with The Press until after today's l p.1)1. special meeting to discuss a presidential search.

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Trustee Ken Howa.td

said 6ndlog a new,

permanent president will be a challenge. He isn't alone.

"I just want somebody that's going to have views on both sides

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and

demographlcs that go here," said NIC student Ray lnglet, 21, of Coeur d'Alene. "Just somebody

who can see everybody's point o{ view to the best ability and make decisions based on that" Growing up In Idaho, lnglet said he's seen the slate lean more in one direction In the sense of politics, which he said is sad.

should be open,minded and very equal set," be said. "I believe that the current state oftbat board is a little bit one way and l Wish that they'd be a little bit more open minded to different people's opinions.''

Teresa Borrenpobl. enrollment service center manager. said she hopes the Incoming president will be supportive of students, following 1n MacLennan's footsteps. '·Our outgOlng president's best trait was his relentless focus on the sllldent experience, and I think that is the number one thing that we bave to tal<e into the future," Borrenpohl said. "My sincere hope is that the board recognaes tbatthe will of Coeur d'Alene is to bave a quality educatlonal Institution, and in order to do that you bave to hire somebody who has the experience and the integrity just like our current president"

Lionel B., a Boisol State University student

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program, said be bas minimal confidence in the board of trustees because of its behavior toward MacLennan. Lionel asked that bis last name not be used.

He said be thought the board could have shown more courtesy and respect'. toward the outgoing president, and given MacLennan a warning before the meeting.

He said he hopes the new president will care about students and create a good relationship with the community.

"I think they should realiY take input from students and faculty because they're the ones that are on crunpus and would benefit from a good president." Lionel said. "I don't think they should bandpick," TQday's special meeting to authorize the presidential search and search parameters will take place In the Edminster Student Union Building, Driftwood BaY Room, on the NIC main campus in Coeur d'Alene.

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the law is a ftigbtenlng and 111 add for the record, : prospect.

1 find it exceedingly "Go to the Legislature irresponsible." and get it changed, NIC Is currently at but until that happens, 417 managed COVII).J.9 you abide by It," said cases this year, starting Howard, an attorney. al a week before school to "Otherwise, we don't have Thursday. That's 339 more a democracy. We don't cases than during the same. have an organlz.ed culture. period last year, We've got anarchy.''

In 2000 there were 1,001 Maclennan said the managed cases. This year'sboard's failure to adopt cases already are more a policy to prevent the than 40% of that number spread of contagious Jn Just the first five weeks diseases couW create a of the fall semester. liability for the college, Cases are self-reported, on top of removing the and managed cases include exlstlng preventative students who have been measure, the mask Isolated or quarantined mandate, at the Aug. 26 due to a positive COVID board meeting. test, known exposure or infectious disease."

MacLennan said a symptom management.

The code says the student residing in the MacLennan said he policy must be adopted in NlC residence hall was was aware of only one consultation with the the transported to the hospital transmitted case of COVIi).., public health district in Wednesday afternoon 19 occurring within the which the college offers after a 911 call for severe college last year while face in-person classes.

COVJIH9 symptoms. coverings were required, According to the A second attempt by evidence that something code, "Notwithstanding MacLennan to comment on they did then was working.. any law or rule to the the issue was Initially cut Conilict between contrary, once such off by Banducci.

MacLennan and Banducci policy is adopted, only the "You've bad your came to light earlier in the_ board of trustees, acting year when the president chance," Banducci said. in accordance With the A brief interruption complained of harassment policy, has the authority to occurred when someone fmm Banducci dirncted at close a community college exiting the meeting in an students. faculty, staff and or any of Us buildings aggressive manner made admin.lstration, Including or campuses, to Umit its physical contact With himself. Renewal of the programs or activities, or another person, according president's contract was to requite other measw-es to Alex Harris, director of tabled at board meetings at the college for the Title IX, student conduct on Aug. 4. 26 and 31. purpooe of preventing the and security.

Accordl.ng to police Spread of contagious or Harris said Thursday records, a complaint was infectious disease.'' the person has been given filed on the morning of Trustee Ken Howard the option to file battery Aug. 31. stating that the sa.id the trustees have charges. business sign of Falcon not done their Job to MacLennan then Investments & Insurance adopt a policy to prevent in Coeur d ·Alene had feces continued. saying the the spread of infectious college has received smeared on it disease, and therefore have nwnerous calls of concern The record says the violated the statute. regarding faculty and staff complainant, Samantha Howard said if someone safety, yet at the Aug. 26 Banducci, said the gets sick on campus, they meeting Banducci cited sign was not damaged could claim the lack of a and relied on anecdotal However, she wanted mask mandate and sue the stories of one or two the incident documented college and the trustees. students who said they because the owner of IJie "'I think we all stand 1n would not attend North business is Todd Banducci. personal liability," Howard Idaho College if face Accordlng to the said. "We don't need tllis coverage was requlred. police report, "Todd is kind of aggravation and "Ii.ere we're wlll.ing to also on the chair for NIC grief: All we need to do Is accept anecdotal stories. and there is cumntly adopt some kind of policy but you wW not accept decisions that are being or , 11 to prevent the Spread of overw'1el1ning d.lrect . have been made that some contagi.ous or infectious emptrlcal evidence of people are not happy diseases. That's what the what's happening in this with and given this, there statute requires." college community right could be more events that Howard said Rames" now; MacLennan said could become criminal In • expression to Ignore "T find that disingenuous nature."

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f4 1Friday, S.ptember1l4. 2021

Editorial

Bad choices have serious consequences

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HTodd Banducci, Greg McKenzie and Michael e re Is the editorial published today:

wish we could have

Barnes graduated Wednesday night from their freshman class of working together on the North Idaho College board of trustees.

They did it with distinction.

Banducci, the veteran board member among the three and chair of the five-member board of trustees, sent a loud and encouraging message to local higher education advocates, NIC statr and faculty, and maybe most of all .to area students. That message is: What's best for NIC and the community that supparts it trumps political ideologies and personal disputes.

More than words, Banducci, McKenzie and Barnes joined longtime board members Christie Wood and Ken Howard in talcing action, extending President Rick MacLennan's contract and ensuring that effective and consistent leadership will continue well into the future.

That decision could not have been easy considering the power struggle and at times personal animosity expressed publicly between the leaders. Firing MacLennan with or without cause or even snipping the end off his contract would have been a vote of no confidence and a slap in the face to staff and faculty, shoving morale at a historically difficult time even deeper into the morass.

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, But level heads and a higher sense of responsibility prevailed. The college, its supporters and taxpayers avoided a wrongful tenni.nation lawsuit that was not only almost a certainty, but might have gone down as one of the most expensive in the history ofICRMP, the risk management Ol."gaDi?,ation covering the college.

They avoided the awkward appointment of an interim president and, later, a permanent replacement who would struggle under the ryial or perceived perception of gross political f~voritism. . And they dodged an accreditation meltdown that could have cost dearly, from federal funding to nightmares for students transferring classes. : Instead, the North Idaho College board of trustees refused to be distracted. They united in the mission to continue a strong tradition of excellence in undergraduate, technical and entrepreneurial education.

They put the organization above themselves.

,.

Maclennan sues NIC Three trustees named individually in Friday lawsuit

By PRESS STAFF

COEUR d'ALENE

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Sadly, here Is the edltortal we must publish today: For anyone wondering what happens when unqualified, politically motivated candidates take over the governing board of a public entity, see the rapid and far-reaching destruction being wrought at North Idaho Gollege.

And realize that more of the same is in store throughout Kootenai County unless wiser choices are made on Nov. 2.

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- President Rick MacLennan was fired on a 3·2 vote Sept. 22, dismissed as president of North Idaho College wilhout cause.

On Friday, MacLennan fired back The college leader since 2016 Is suing his former employer and Individual members or its board or trustees for violating NIC policies as well as state and federal laws that protect Maclennan public employees. according to a p1·ess release from the Coeur d'Alene law firm Smith + Malek.

The trustees named as individuals but in their official capacities In the suit, which was filed Friday afternoon, include Board Chair Todd Banducci. Vice Chair Greg McKenzie and Trustee Michael Barnes.

Those are the three who voted to terminate MacLennan's contract.

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Marching for Maclennan Community plans to show support for former NIC president felt Uke the community march on needed to stand up and OcL 27, prior kind of Just say enough to the next is enough," said Ciara scheduled North Idaho College Platt, 25, an NIC student students, alwnni. faculty, regular - ...,:.;:.-•• and organizer of the staff and community meeting march along with a members plan to show of lhe NIC supj)Ort for former board of Maclennan COilege President Rick trustees.

See MARCH, A12 MacLennan tb:ro:u:g:h~a:__ _"I~j:.:.ust ....- - - - - - - - -- - - - By HANNAH NEFF Staff Wr~er

• LAWSUIT

the board of trustees as a whole rather than as

Individual trustees; • Banduccl's disparaging comments In In the suit, MacLennan November 2000 regarding argues that bis MacLennan's private termination by the board pollfical beliefs during was in retaliation for which he threatened his good faith reporting MacLennan's employment of several suspected by implication: and violations of the law by • Banducci's the trustees, including: confrontation with • Banducci verbally another college employee and physically assaulting in January 2021 for a female college employee contributing flnancially lo at a college-sponsored Banducci 's political rival. event in December 2019: The Press contacted • Banducci's November Banducci's office Friday 2020 statement that he afternoon and was told woUld give MacLennan he was gone for the "marching orders" Jn weekend. Banducci has violation of state Jaw, not responded to multiple which vests power in Press attempts for from A1

comment in recent weeks. notes that a complaint MacLennan's f"u·lng was previously filed by gave him one day to third parties with NlC's leave his campus office. accredl.tlng organwition.

Doiens of NIC employees the Northwest gathered to applaud him Commission on Colleges and wish him weU. and Universities. Those The firing does complaints came from guarantee MacLennan regional human rights will be paid bis $222,000 organizations. salary over the next year.

The Northwest plus benellts.

Commlsslon on Colleges According to a Smith + and Universities is a Malek press release, "The nonprofit corporation First Amendment of the recognizoo by the United U.S. Constitution protects States Department public employees· rights of Education and the to free speech.• Council on Higher Several Idaho laws Education to accredlt are also ciled in the postsecondary Institutions complaint, including The in Alaska. Idaho, Idaho Protection of Public Montana, Nevada. .Employees Act Oregon, Utah, Washington The release also and British Columbia.

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small llJ"')up of mostly NIC alumni. "The goal or the march Is to stand in solidarity with

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gain •. awareness . for the _ ,. : extremism In our community. as well as Just help Platt NlCU regain ifs voice back because I fe,,I like a lot of faculty and students are JUSt feeling lost right now.• MacLennan was terminated without cause on Sept. 22, with Trustees Todd Banducci.

Micheal Barnes and Creg McKenzie voting ro oust him "The firing of President MacLonnan w!thou1 cause has enormous ramlficatlons not only to our bt>lovt!d colleee but to our community at large," Coeur d'Alene native and NIC

r "Regan has mad1> 1t abundantly clear lhat do/slroylng our public school institutions 1s top rl 1heir priority list," J(C('nan said "One only has to take a quick look at the IFF posL,; to ""(' Ibey are wiabashedly advocating to end public education, or as they PJt It, 'government run schools.· This is a Ml on attack of our Idaho constitutional right to a free and unifom1 public education."

Regan said In an eniaU to The Pres.1 that public schools are destroying themselves as well as failing students, teachers and parents.

"Over three-fourths of the money spent on education never makes It to teacher salaries but Is Instead absorbed by a clllclfled bureaucrncy," Regan said. "If you roduced this overhead by a third you could double trachers salaries without rnl91ng truces."

Regan said that according to Article 9 Section I of the Idaho Ccnslltutlon, the purpose

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of public schools Is to ensure the smb!llty of our republican form or government.

"To do that they must teach what Is a ·n,pubUcan form of government; how It Is superior to other forms nnd whal Is net'<led to ke<•p II stable," Rc11nn soid. "Do any of our publlc schools do thls7 It Is their primm reason for existing as articulated ln law ·· Keenan said the community must stand up to the disinformation campaign and the bully lnllmldallon tactics being delivered by RelnUl and his allies. ''The KCRCC alliance has broken down the social contract we have with one another."

Keenan said. "There is no longer respectt\11 clvU discourse wht•re we can ngree to disagree and try to llnd common ground and compromise. No. now it's angry mobs and lntlmld.'lUon to get their way;" Nine day,; after being llred. MacLennan llled a lawsuit, suing tho college as well as the throo trustees who voted for h Is termina1 ion In the complaint, MacLennan argues his t"rmination wa,, In retaliation for his good faith reporting or board chnlr Banduccl's several suspected violations of the law. lncludlnK verbal l and physical assault of a femnle college emplo)·oo at a college.sponsored C'."Cnt in 2019

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endol'S('(I by the Koolcna1 County Republican Central Comm111ee. chaired by Brent Regan, , who ls also chrur of the Idaho Freedom Found.aHon.

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Shawn Ke,,nan said "The acc:redttatlon I starus of · NIC Is In Jeol)llrdy KMnan ' due to the unprofessional and amtressive behavior of 8:mduccl and htS two lackeys. Losing accreditation would cause Irreparable damage to the reputation or tho college and a rlpplo of neeattve economic cons.,quences. • I In the 2020 election. ,

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Nit: nccreditaffon may be under rovlew by the N\lrlhwest Commission c,n Co\le<{eS and Universities bee ,u.se Iof a complaint ft!..d by the Kootenai Cuunty Task Force on Human Relations and the human rights ta.~k fo1-cl!S for Bonner, Boundary and Spokane counties.

Along with belng reinstated. MacLennan'• lawsuit Is seeking compensation for any lost wages and benefits. along with more than SI0,000 In damages.

The march will start at 4 p.m In McEuen Park in downtown Coeur d'Alene, heading toward NIC. Christle Wood, an NIC Trustee who supported MacLennan, Michelle

Lippen. a rormer

,

philosophy lnstn1ctor at NJC, and Keenan will give speeches around s p.m. In front of the Edminster Student Union Buildina.

The board of trustees' meeting wW start at 6 p.m., following a planned executive session at 5 p.m.

Banducci did not respond to a request for : comment.

MI W'tdnesday, October 20, 2021

Tho Press

- Op/Ed

Stand up and support public educators We are witnessing organized regional and national aggressive campaign attacks on public educators In K·l2 schools and colleges and universities.

This deUberate disinformation campa1gn uses fear to assert that educators are using "critical race theory" to demean white students, resulting in a guilt complex for those students. The real motive behind these fear campaigns is to sow division and distrust among the American people.

We have a long history In the United States or extremists groups', Individuals' and some politicians' use of (ear tactics to manipulate segments or the population with the goal In mind of gaining and maintaining political power. One only has to review history In the United Slates to see the effectiveness of fear as a tool for control. as the following examples demonstrate:

oppose equal rights for the I..GBTQ community.

Recently (trFoUowing the there have end to the Period of been social Reconstruction, Southern media posts states enacted unjust and letters Tony laws (i.e., Jim Crow to the Stewart Laws) to deny minority editor In communities their GodGUEST our region given rights: OPlNlON labeling (2) The use of a social fear campaign during justice the historical Great as a and diversity Migration from Europe communist doctrine. to the United States The real facts are the against lrish and Italian teachings of soeial Catholics: justice, civil and human (3) The more recent rights. equality and the use of fear toward merits of diversity are Immigrants to the United actually well established States: and democratic principles (4) The concerted guaranteeing each organized campaign to individual's right to freedom. equality and Justice under the law with an emphasis on respect and dignity for our fellow human beings.

The late Icon civil rights leader t-felsOn Mandela put it best when he said: "To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity."

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complex due to their race. ancestry. national origin, ethnicity or other categories.

Rather, I have witnessed educators' use of these principles to uplift lndhnduals a'D'd demonstrate the worth. dignity and value ot'each student.

I have great optimism for the future after meeting, working, lecturing and communicating with thousands of students from this region. nationally and in some cases internationally.

I ilnd students possess great Intellect. wisdom, compassion, love and concern for their fellow human beings. Students understand and support the tenets of a free society that inclu\ie social Justice, human rights and equallty while embracing dlverslty.

Historical scholars' research has shown that both America's public educational system and the creation or the middle class are key factors to lhe I llad the honor and establishment and privilege of teaching continued protection of these democratic our democratic system. principles to more In order to maintain than 12,000 college our democratic republic, students during my we must be dtligent, almost four decades as dedicated and committed an educator, working to opposing all threats to with distinguished these ideals. educators and scholars In protecting our across America, and having spent many years representative fonn touring and lecturing to of government. it will require us to be college and university Informed. active In civic students from coast matters and avoid the to coast. During these dangers that come from experiences, not once apathy. have I witnessed an educator using any Tony Stewart Is a Coeur of these principles d'Alene res,denr and to demean or give pol/rlcal scientisL any student a guilt

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NIC Continued from I ••Some of these people ffil just persorutl acqualnwices with the board chair." Wood said. •'!'he p= has been completely corrupted, and irs be<>" done so by three trustees who had J>"P· pie in min.d for the positl= It hllS nothing ro do wit\l'JUalifications to run a higher education imtitutlon. II has to do witn perSOJ\(ll fli,,ndships :,nd (political) i~iogy."

Sebaaly wv c~n ID a :l-2 vote, wit!, c'hru, rodd Bnnducci.

Vice Clc,ur GJ'e! MfKen1je and

Trustee Mieh,-~1 Bnr.n« in fwor of the nppoinrmenl. The posi·

tion carries a $180,000 salary prorated over the interim president's rerm in office.

Banducci and McKenzie declined to comment immediately ofter the meeting.

Sebnaly is the interim replacement for Richard M.oM;Lcnnan. ·who was fired last month by the board soon after the board "NVCrsed MacLennan's deci• sion to impose a mask mandate.

MncLennan, who bt>came president in 2016, has since filed n I ~ complaint ngninst the college, Banducci, McKen,;ie and 83mes, alleging unlawful termi· nation.

The college board decided late last month to se.lect an internal candidate for interim p=ident to serve while the college conductS a national search for o

new full-time president. Sebaaly will assume the job no later than Nov. 10. He will telce over from Lita Bu~. who currently is the acting president.

The board's decision took pince following a more than iwo-hour-long executive ses· sion.

Trustee Ken HoWUl'd left the dosed-door portion of the meeting roughly an hour in, taking a seat in the lounge area of the Edminster Student Union Building. Trustee Christie Wood was not far behind, joining him approltiJJUltely five minutes lat· er.

Speaking with The Spokesman-Review during the executive session, both trustees said the session. while they were present, remained within the bounds of allowable discussion behind closed doors. Wood, nevertheless, described the session as ''a complete sharo.r •(Ken and I have) been through numerous presidential searches; Wood said, •and what's occurring right now is not even dose to a professional structUre."

The board went into executive session just after 5 p.m. and reopened to the public just before 7:30 p.m.

Banducci, McKenzie and Barnes did not say anything regarding the selection of Sebaaly at the time of the vote.

There were 10 spplicantS for See NIC, u

NIC continued from 8 the interim president's position, according to the col·

leg,,.

Wood said there were three finalists - none of whom she would support if they were selected.

"Not even close." she said.

The two said board trlllt· ees argued at their last

ultimately up ro the board.

Regardless of whether it's • selection process for a full-time president or an interim, Howard said he believes the process should be more open to the public.

As has been a trend in at least the last several months, Monday's meet· ing did not include a public comment period. And while provisions were made for Barnes to connect remotely, the meeting was advertised to not include a Zoomfw-

meeting OVtt the qualifications they would seek from nw option.

"The function of a presl· interim candidates. Howanl. for example, said he dent on an organization like argued for a requirement of this has got to be one where five years of administrative the &cuJty, the staff and other people in the commu· experience.

According to the job post- nity stand behind them be· ing. the minimum qualifica- cause they know the selec· tion, and only requirement. lion process has been open is a master's degree from a and we sought the best talregionally accredited iosti· ent available," Howard said. tution. Preferences include "When you start chipping away at that, It chips away the following: • A minimum of five at the confidence I think years of experience in high- that people have in leader· er education administra- ship."

Wood said she hopes tion/senior leadership.

• Progressive senior level the public will take notice administrative experieoce with what she believes is happening at North Idaho at community college.

• Experience working in CoU~.

"We're looking for help,• business and industrY and/ or cffller/technical educa- she said. "Otherwise, we're going to see a great instition.

Higher education tution continue to suffe.greatly;" teaching experience.

Human llcsources led the pxocess with collecting GregMa,on can be reached resumes from internal can- at (509) 459.5047 or didates. The selection was gr,,gm@spokfflnan.com.

THE SPOKESMAN ·REvIEW 1\IESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2021

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North Idaho College Trustees Todd Banducci and Greg McKenzie said they would like to have addlllonal legal counsel for the board In addition to college attorney Marc Lyons, pictured on far right at the special board meeting Mo11day night at NIC'• main campus.

the process alone and hopes to have defined the role by the regular from A1 meeting on Wednesday.

"There are times run this institution," where there can appear Wood said. "I know io be some cc1nfl.lcts of for a fact that they are the direction of different personal friends with parts of what we the board chair. The consider to be a college relationships are deep community,'' Banducci and that's why I call said. "I would like to the whole entire thing have the ability to bave corruption." a line of separation or Board chair Todd a wall of separation as Banducci only responded there are times when lhat he hoped people we put our attorney In a would sup{)Ort Sebaaly position of talking to this 'n his new role and he person then talking to Hoked forward to seeing this person." h Im hopefull)· do a good Banducc.i said rather ;ob. than having college Sebaaly crone to NlC attorney Marc Lyons be in June 2019 as th!.' new uncomfortably caught in head wresUing coach and the middle of an Issue. ,,n instructor. lie has a he thought a second doctorate In Educational attorney would be Leadership from helpful.

Southwestern University.

"If you think he's Banducci and Trustee being uncomfortable it's Greg McK<lnzle also because he's trying to be said in the meeting right," Howard said. "It lhey would like to have doesn'I mean something eddltlonal legal counsel has 10 replace him, and for the board, although quite honestly. this specifications were not whole idea of you want given. Banducci said he to have your own lawyer is currently working on for this bom-d. I don't

NIC

trust I don't trust you " for the board.

Wood said the point is the three trustees, Banducci, McKenzle and Micheal Barnes, don·t want to hear what Lyons has to say, whicb she said ls the legal advice they need.

"You've already C0$1 this house $270,000 for a president that's not sitting here, and we·re going to pay for another president." Wood said. ··we have a lawsuit on top of that and now you want the taxpayer., to pay for even more legal counsel."

After much back and forth. the meeting was adjourned abruptly as Wood said there was no point to continue the conversation.

Acti.o n Items on the regular meeting scheduled for this Wednesday Include the selection or additional/ supplemental board legal counsel.

Senior Executive ASslstant Shannon Goodrich said that to hl!r knowledge NfC has never had a separate attorney

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A12 I Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Support for fired president: NIC community marches for Maclennan today

By HANNAH NEFF Slaff Writer

Supporters of a rormer North Idaho College president wUJ march in protest or lus tenninatlon without

cause at 3

p.m. today,

Organizer of the march. 25-year-old !IIIC student Clara Platt, said she felt It was tin1e ror the commumty to stand up in support of MacLennan and say enough to the extremism in the community.

"We're just trying to

kind of b)'lng insight to that because they're just at campus damaging the reputation parking lot or the schcol," Platt said.

A on the "It just impacts i.1 lot of comer of Northwest Maclennan different lhing:s.''

Coeur d'Alene native Boulevard and NIC alumnus Shawh and Hubbard Avenue.

Fomter college president Keenan said the octions of the thtoo trustees are Rick MacLennan was terminated w\thOlrt cause hurting the accredltalion of the school Sept. 22..with Trustees The college Todd n.lfuducci, Mich:lcl JlameS amt Greg McKenzie accteditatlon is still under Investigation pu$ing 'the vole, "f round (MacLennan) by the Northwest Commission on Colleges to be a man of deep and Universities through integrity; saig, Connor a complaint filed by NIC professor Micbelle the Kootenai County Lippert. "Under his Task Force on Human watch• .th rollege was Relations and the human doing real.ly well"

starting

force in Kootenai County

and If It were to disappear, KootenaJ County would be In a world of hurt," Lippert said.

MacLennan filed a

lawsuit against the coUege

Lippert

Platt

and three trustees who voted for his tennlnation, including In the suit that he wanted to be reinstated.

After some changes to the 01iginal plan, the

rights task forces for Bonner, Boundary and Spokane counties. march will start at 3 p.m. ''l think we need to on the comer of Northwest. have the community's 'Dot~evard and Hubbard attention on the college and the community noods Avenue and continue to to reallie the very threat the campw, soccer field where Lippert, Keenan, to NIC's existence, which and retired NIC professor Is happening right now," Lippert said. "If thl.'Y were 'l'im Chrtstle will Speak at 4 p.m. 'l'tw board of to pull accreditation from trustl'eS meeting will S1art the college that would be at 6 p.m. In the Edminster the end or the college."

Stuclcnt Union Building.

Lippert said the money Lake Coeur d'Alene Room. pumped Into Kootenai with an executive session County through NIC - - y o l 0aro 1'1111 scheduled to begin at 4 employees and students.

Supporters ol fonner North Idaho College PrNldenl Rick p.m growth of businesses and Macl..emen creal8d poellf9 Monday night to UN dwlng the Banducci did not more reveals the huge march at 3 p.m. on campus today to prol99I his t8ffl1Nllon respond to a request for Impact the college has. wttllout cauae at the boatd of truat9" meeting Sept. 22. ''NlC is a big economic comment

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about attacks by Banducci on '"'The process has been com-diversity programs, his oven pletely coTTUpu,d, and it's been politiciringof interactions with done so by three trustees who students 11nd staff, :tnd an alle· had people in mind for the po· gntion of a verbal and physical sition. It has nothing 10 do with assault against a student wit· qunli6carionno run a higher nessed by former President Rick education institution. It has to MacLenrum. do with personal friendships The examples ofBaoducci's and (political) ideology.• aggressive, buUying behavior It's truly a farce, though not at including an instance where he all amusing. told Wood that his wife is going Now the same four hutoslnp her - were so out-of. man-rights orgnnizations that bounds that the board censured first raised public concerns in him Inst April.

March •bout the board - and es• The NCCU opened nn investipecially Banducci - are expand- gation into the complaint, with ing their complaint a dendllne to finish by next AuIn March, the human rightS gust. lt is looking into whether task forces from Kootenai, MC meets its requiremenl8 in Bonner,.Boundary and Spokane three areas: academic freedom, counties complained abouc the nondiscrimination, and board board violllting the civil libergovernance. ties of students and stt\1£ to the A$ the probe proceeds, NIC Department of Justice and the and the board have been tasked Northwest Commission on Colwith taldng some interim Steps, leges and Universities. such as adopting cenain board "The future of the college was policies and attending workin great peril and we couldn't shops to show progress on the just stllnd by;· said Tony Stewareas o(concern. art, a longtime humlUI rights In a letter to the commission champion, former NIC political at the end of August, the human scientist and secretary of the rights groups raise concerns Kootenai County Tusk force on that the majority "hns given Human Relations. only lip service,. or even worse, (Wood ls president of the task hns defied• those commission force, but recuses herself in requircmenu. matters relating to NIC.) "It gives us no pleasure to Their letter raised concerns reach the conclusion that the

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new NIC Bonrd majority intends to talce advantage of the gener• ous year extended to them by the NWCCU to implem.e nt their radical ideology and agenda that will reverse decades of policies based on the protection of civil liberties, civil rights, human rights, and inclusion, not to me~tion the hann to the governance structure," the letter reads. "We yet do not realize the extent to which such negative actions will harm and damage the institution.• The hope behind the filing of the complaint is that the co.mmission can exert pressure on the board to get its act together - or, short of that, that it wiU pince the college under the oversight of the state or another institution.

The risk is thnt thes_e board members won't lift a finger to prevent a disastrous result - given how apparent it bas become that they simply don't care about silly things such as the value of credits a student receives at NIC. However it plays out, the school won't be safe until control of the board is wrestled away from the Three Stooges.

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Shawn Vestal can be reached at (509) 4S9-S43l or at shawnv@ spokesman.com.

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NIC

f:om A1

NIC'11 accreditation is under review by the NWCCU after a complaint flied by the Kootenai C.ounty Task Force on Human Relations and the human rights task forces for Bonner, Boundary and Spokane counties March 12-

'l'he

complaint

cites actions of.Board Chair Todd Banducci, Vice Chair

Banducci

Greg

McKenzie and Trustee Michael Barnes as ~CO\U\ter

to the civU and human rights Bam89 and clvU liberties protected by the United States Constitution.

Federal laws, Idaho laws and McKenzie NIC policies for all NTC employees and students."

The four human rights task forces sent two followup letters to the NWCCU, on Aug. 26 and Sept JO. Tony Stewart, representative f0t· the task forces. said in an emaU to The Press on Thursday they have infonned the NWCCU they wUI be filing a second detailed complaint regarding NIC ne.xt week.

The NWCCU has required the college to submlt an ad·hoc report by next Aug. I. Bums said the report will focus on the college's governance and adminislratlve Jeadersblp.

A May 28 statement lo the NWCCU says the board is conunlttoo to addressing and resolving the concerns.

It acknowledges that competing views on board authority, roles and responsibilities have resulted in boa.rd action and actions by lndiv1dua1 board I members perceived to be directing college operations. lt further recognlzes that its powers. duties and limitations are establlsbed by statute and policy.

In response to the NWCCO lnvestigat:i,on. the board went throUgb training in June from the Association of Community College Trustees, reinstated Policy 2.01.lO on Board Conduct With amendments, which was rescinded in November 2020, and said they will address the concerns or constituent groups. Tuey restated that they value the advice of all interested individuals and groups in the solution of its educational and financial concerns.

The board statement also said trustees recognire the complaint references allegations of significant misconduct by Banducci and is committed to work through the issues to satisfactorily address the scope of the NWCCIJ investigation, along with readdressing board leadership roles.

In January. a Press public records request showed an email from former college President Rick MacLennan in which he said he was an eycwilness to Banducci's physical assault of a female college employee at a college.sponsored event on Dec. 10, 2019. MacLennan said he did not initial)y

recognize It as an assault.

Attilr receiving the email from MacLennan, Trustee Chrtstie Wood as1c<ed Wood llanduoc1 to resign as board chair Immediately for what she rlestt!bed as "Inappropriate, aggressive or threatening tehavior."

Wood said she also experienced physically tlU'eatening and verbally abusive behavior from Banducci, citing an incident in 2012 when she

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Ucensuro examinations. ruquirements, but not It states. ''The ,goal of to such an extent as to instltulionaJ accredl.t.atio11 warrant the issuing of ls to cn.omre th.al education a sbbw-cause order or J)l:Oviaed by insfittrtlorlS II withdrawal of candidacy of higher education meets ,:Or aocredttatlon. NTC may accet)table levels of quality." be placed on probation for

saidt3anduocl pointed his adoption of Policy 2.01.10., finger at her and said, "l Board Conduct. o~gbt to take you outside 6: Demonstrate respect After receiving the a specified period of time. nght now and kick your and consideration or the Ad-Floe response, NTG • Show Gause: This ass." views ol constituent groups. states that should the ls the last step prior to On Feb. 10, a motion 7: Demonstrate collective NWCCU decide to impose removing accreditation. A

by Wood for Banduocl's adherence to the Standard a sanction on the college show cause order would resignation failed by a of Good Practice. there are three options; be issued requesting that 3-2 vote, with Trustee 8: Re-Address Board • Wamibg: When the the institution respond Ken Howard supporting Leadership Roles. cornrn.ission .finds that NIC to the stated concerns of Wood's motion.

9: Show understanding bas PllI'SUed a course that, the commission within a MacLennan's contract of duties of offices if continued. could lead to specified time. The burden was terminated without particularly the Chair. more serious sanctions, It of proof rests with NJC cause in the Sept. 22 board 10: Address allegations ma,y issue to the Institution to dem.o nstrate why its m~ting. The yote was 3-2, of speoiflc misconduct by a ~ to COtTect its acctOOJtatton shQuld be with Banducci, McKenzie the board chair. deficiencies. to refrain continued and Barnes agreeing to Additional actions and O'Oln certain activities, or ''There is a heavy fire the president. suggestions include strict to_ initiate certain activities dark cloud of uncertainty Burns said Wednesday adherence to open meeting within a stated period of hanging over this beautlful she's concerned about the Jaws to remove any hint of time. A warning is a public campus of ours," Bums lack of progress the board impropriety or imlgularity sanction and does not affect said Wednesday. "Students has made toward fullllling in any regular or special the accredlted status of NIC. and community members its commitments to the scbeduled meeting, • Probation: A negative are calling with ~ter NWCCU. allowln11 for input fl-om the sanction indlcatine that frequency about mc·s She presented the board constituency groups with NlC failed to respond to accreditation status. We with an accredltation the selection of a pennanent the concerns (including respond by saying. 'Right response action plan president, and effort by the warning) communicated now - heavy emphasis on prepared by the executive board to work collectively by the commission. or right now - NIC Is in good accredltation and planning and as individual members when the college devlates standing.' Unless action committee, listing 10 action to bolster a culture of "One significantly from the Is taken by the board, our steps for the board.

NIC," among other action commission's standards, response will likely change Included are: items, policies. or eligibility in the near future."

1: Ensute that the NIC's page of FAQs on contracts or resolutions for the investigation states that the Interim and Pennanent accrooltatlon Is important President retain the for the college to remain in language outlined in operation, as It enables NlC the NTC Employment to offer federal financial aid to students, ensure credits Agreement wlth the President, Section 2 earned at NIC transfer Responsibilities. to other institutions, and 2: Reinstate Public allows the eligibility for Comment at all regularly NJC graduates to sit for scheduled meetings of the board. The board has d.isal!owed public comment in recent meetings.

3: Demonstrate respect and consideration of the recommendations of the college president.

4: Actively engage in and continue board training.

5: Work in good faith with the Senate to complete the reVis1on process and

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NIC disaster could be • broader preV1ew

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A4 I Friday, October 29, 2021

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miniature the characteristic qualities or features of something much larger.

Microcosm, Kootenai County: See North Idaho College.

As voters warm up their black pens and thinking caps for Tuesday's local elections, they need look no further than the mess at NIC to see what's wrong with ideology and extremism taking over local governments.

For years now, the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee has been working feverishly to get their anointed in charge of every elective office in the county. It's a microcosm of the plan for Idaho Freedom Foundation, which is trying to do the same thing for every elective office in the state. Lo and behold, the head of KCRCC, Brent Regan, also happens to be chairman of lFF's board.

The bad news is that in the last election, KCRCC succeeded in getting its three-person majority on the NIC board of trustees. Those three, Chair Todd Banducci, Greg McKenzie and Michael Barnes, are faithfully wrecking a fine community college.

The good news is the same as the bad news but only if voters see what's happening at NIC and care enough to ensure it doesn't happen again, on multiple levels. at the polls Tuesday.

NIC i.s a mess, and not a cheap one, either, from alleged fiscal conservatives. Firing president Rick MacLennan without cause is costing $270,000 - and that's before a lawsuit could tack on a ~enumper.

Cavib'r1 up tl

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e At a pro-l'ated $180,000 pe1· year, the trustee trio elevated the college's wrestling coach to interim p1·esldent. In fairness, Jet's see what Mike Sebaaly can do with his hands on the reins. If he can keep the horse from breaking a leg and facing a bullet, maybe he will prove to be a prudent Jnterim choice.

On the horizon, board cbalr Todd Banducci has lndicated he wants to hire additional legal counsel. The college bas l"eceived excellent counsel .from Marc Lyons for years. so why hire another lawyer unless you want someone telling you what you want to hear, rather than what you need to hear? And after being accused of promoting the wrestling coach on the basis of theil" friendship, Banducci will face yet another chorus of criticism if he hires one of his and the KCRCC's cronies.

Now then, if all of that hasn't challenged the intestinal ability to hold down your breakfast. maybe this Will. At Wednesday night's board meeting, Banducci's chosen bold-the-fo1i leader, highly respected Lita Burns, delivered a message the trustee trio did not want you to hear.

"I am critically concerned about NIC's ability to remain in good standing," Burns said. "Our employees know that there's nothing more that they can do to protect NIC's accreditation status.

Our futw·e lies in the hands of North Idaho College's board of trustees."

If NIC loses accreditation because of neglect or malfeasance from the trustee trio, vast sums of funding and the college's outstanding reputation will be lost. Students will be unable to transfer credits. This shining star on the lake will lose far more than its Juste1·.

And if the community moves forward with the KCRCC's radical takeover plan at the polls Tuesday ...

Macrocosm, noun: The whole of a complex structure ... contrasted with a small or representative part of it.

NIC's catastrophic leadership becomes not the exception, but the rule.

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'JUSTICE AND EQUITY' Gonzaga to host hate studies conference

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BY G1'99 Mason THESPOKESM.AN~UVL!.W

In Tony Stewart's eyes, current events might make this year's lotemational Con· ference on Hate Studies the mOSt rele\lllllt iteration of the Gonzaga universieyeventyet.

Look no further than Coeur d'Alene. said Stewart. seeretary for the Kootenai Coanty Task Force on Human ltelations. After Coeur d'Alene School Board members canceled a late September meet· ing due 10 the presence of around 200 people gathered in protest of face masb in schools. a number of protest• ers drove to the district of· lices and occupit>d the lobby before they were eventually escorted out of the building by police. . .,All over America. we see school boards with mobs appearing and yelling at them, and unfortunately we've seen a number of school board members resign because they felt a threat to their families.·

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man rights task force leaders from across the Northwest in the conference's final panel Saturday. he said... Then, of course, vio• "Some of them are going Jenee in different ways. to discuss where do we go "Never before in recent times from here," said Ste.wart, who has it been more important to helped lead the community try to analyze what's causing charge against the Aryan Na• that hate and the growth in tions in North Idaho in the quarters of that!'

1980s and '90s. "With these The three-day international new challenges, do we have 10 Conference on Hate Studies, add on some new dimensioos? set to start Thursday, is expect- What we*ve done in the past is ed to draw a.c ademics, practi- very important knowledge and tioners, Students. faculty, com- strategy, but docs this call for munity members and others to some new fonns of action?" share their perspectives relatThe conference will close ed to the field studying hare.

Saturday with a ceremony rec• The virtual conforence•s ognizing winners of this year's theme is "Justice and Equrty, Eva Lassman "Toke Action Challenging Hate and Inspir- Against Hate" awards, presenting Hope!' More information ed by the Gonzaga institute, is available at gonzagn.edu/ and the Humnn rughts Cham• ICOEIS. pion Awards spoosored by the Gonzaga University's Insti- Spokane Coun.t y Human rughts tute for Hate Studies, the Spo- Task Force and the Spokane kane County Human rughts Human rughts Commission.

Task Force and the Kootenai The "Take Action Against County Task Force on Human Hate" awards are named after Relatioos are co-hosting the Ln.ssman,, a Holocaust survivor event, the sixth since the in~ who lived in Spokane for many sdtute was founded in 1998, years and often spoke at area said iostirute director Kristine schools and community events Hoover. about her time in the Majdanek "As an ocademic instirution, death camp. with so many people locally, The individunl award recipacross the country and across ients ue Rowena Pineda and the world wanting to find a Pul-Yan 1.am, fonner co-chairs more inclusive and safer way of the Asian Pacific Island Coro build communities. what we alition of Spokane. The orgacan contribute is the research nizational award winner is the that tries to look at what are ef- Limerick University European fective intcnrentions/' Hoover Centre for the Study of Hate. s,ud. "What are effective ways The ,vinners of this year's that we can counter bate and Ruman Rights Champion we can create greater inclusion Awards nre Katie Urbanek, and welcoming?" founder of Spokane's PFLAG The conference's keynote (Po.rents, Families, and Friends speaker this year is Kristen of Lesbians and Gays) organiClarke, assistant attorney gen- zation; Jan Baker of the Spoeral for civil rights •• the U.S. kane NAACP; Jennyfer Mesa. a Department of Justice. co-founder of Latinos en SpoIn addition to presentations, kane; and Angel Tomeo Sam, workshops and roundtables, an advocate with the Bail Projthis year's conference will be ect The awards eeremony,vill highlighted by a series of panel be aired live on Fncebook. discuss.ion$ on topics includ~ "Often we will see individing updates from several hate un.l s in need, or :t need in our $dies centers in the U.S. and community, and e:ve,n times Canada, as well as the future of when we think we have the r<1searcl,, answer or the response to that Selections from the confer- need; said James "JJ" Johne(lce ,viii Ukely be included in son, director of the Spokane the next issue of the Journal of County Human rughts Task ~ate Studies, a peer•reviewed Poree, ''bur there are those in open access publication pro- our commun·i ty who don't just d~ced by the institute for see the need. They don't just Hare Studies. Late last week, consider a response. They actlje institute released a special tually do something about iL• edition leading up to the con~rence titled "Hate Amid the Greg Mason con be reached Pandtmlic.• at (509) 4S9-S047 or gregm@ Stewart will join other bu- spoke~man.(om~ Continued from 1

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NIC faculty, staff seek help to ensure president search 'is legitimate' !I

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By Greg Mason TIU SPOKESAtAi'ol•llBV[llV

The agency that accredits North Tdaho College said it's staying out of the school's search for a full-time president, though some faculty and staff sent a letter as.king for help.

North Tdaho College has been accredited by the NWCCU since 1950. The commission, however, is investigating whether the college is still eligible for accreditation stalu$ after a complaint from regional human rights wk forces concerning the conduct of the college·s Board of Trustees.

The accreditation agency was sent a letter late Inst month from a group of North Idaho College faculty and staff asking the NWCCU for help with the search to replace Rick MacLen-

nan, whowasousted by the college Board of Trustees without cause in September.

NWCCU President Sonny :Ramaswamy s,ud the letter will be part of th.e materials used in the commission's analysis of the complaint llg8inst North Idaho College.

"Jt's not in our purview to go in and say 'thou shalt' about searches; he said. "The institution has its own bylaws and procedures when it comes to hiring and firing administrators, faculty, staff and so 011.

That's articulated by them. We don't say how people can be fired or hired, and also we don't specify what the quall6cadoos ought to be and what the process ought to be because each institution ls very different."

The faculty and staff letter to the NWCCU is not a complai.nr, the authors noted. Rather, it is a request for assistance "in order

See NC,4

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N2C C::OOti,lued from 1 support a tr.tnsparent sear,:b pro,;ess based 1>n best practice'' as aligned with the connn.ission's o.ccreditati!>n eligibility requirements, ae<:ordin;g to the letter. "*lo a recent media report, after the selection of the Interim President. a board member stated, •we're looking for help; " the authors wrote. "Like t9

many in die college's con-

stituent groups and the larger community, we, too, are looking for help to ensure the search for the permanent President Ls legitimate and includes the authentically considered feedback of the college and the community it serves."

The authors cited the process spearheaded by the board of trustees majority of Cha.ir Todd Banducci. Vice Chair Greg McKenzie and Trustee Michael Barnes in the search for an interim president.

Wrestling coach Michael Scbaaly was chosen ofter the board reviewed applications, but did not conduct intel"\iews for a role in which the only requirement was a master's degree from a regionally accredit• ed institution.

The Oct. 25 letter is signed by Lloyd Duman,

All of the authors were also applicants for the in-

During the most recent

terim president's position.

Several said last month they applied to help bring stability to o college thnt's been embroiled in controversy over the last year or so, as partially highlighted by the tenuous relationship between MacLennon and majority members on the board of trustees.

Wednesday was Sebaaly's first day as interim president, with .assistant coach Chase Clasen tabbed as interim head conch for the wrestling team. Lita Burns, who served as acting president during the transition, ha.s returned to her previous role as vice president for Instruction.

Beyond the presidential search, taking steps to maintain NOrth Idaho College's accreditation figures to occupy at least part of Sebwy's term as interim

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board of trustees meeting last month, Bums distn'buted an action plan to trustees outlining steps designed to satisfy the NWCCU and avoid sanctions from the commiss:ion. Such steps include reinstating public comment at board of trusttts me<!tings. demonstrating respect and consideration of recommendations made by the college president and addressing •allegations of misconduct against Banducci.

Sebaaly did not respond to a request for comment.

Revocation of an instirurionts

accreditation,

if it were to occur, is an outcome based on ·•a very

detailed proceS5" that could take a few years. Ramaswamy said.

"Depending on the complexity and the severity of the complaint, certainly the (NWCCU) commissioners will be asked to vote on these tlililgs, particularly in the situation where you may have a

interim associate dean of

instruction; Jonathan Gardunia, program director of the Idaho Consortium for Physical Therapi&t As· sistant Education; Chris Martin. vice president for finance and business af. fairs; Molly Mkh11ud, chair of English and humanities; and Graydon StAnley, vice president of student service$.

president.

The college has to submit an ad hoc report to t),e NWCCU by Aug. 1, 2022, showing the actions taken by administrators and truStees to meet NWCCU criteria concem.ing the makeup. function, authority and responsibility of the college's governing board.

warning, or a sanction or a

show cause, etc.;· he said.

"That's getting dose to whnt you could say is the nuclear option, ultimately. that an institution loses accreditn:tion."

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Accreditation holds institutions accountable based on the standards of the NWCCU and the U.S. Department of Education, Ramaswamy said. The accredited status of an institution is often considered by universities when reviewing prospective employees, while students attending accredited institutions can access federal financial aid.

Ramnswamy said the com.mission is also reviewing a second complaint received from the same groups within the past few days. He declined to comment on the nature of the complaint.

"Any time an adverse action is taken by the commission, that is going to be looked at by the federal government." he said. "We have to have very clear dat.,. compilation of evidence and thingll like that to show it. It's absolutely and positively not a oneand-done."

Greg Mason can be reached at (S09) 459-5047 or

gregm@spokesman.com.

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Is thel"e to make policy,

choose the president and approve the budget.

Stewart said. lt Is not there to micro-manage extremel.Y Import.ant is day-to-day operations. non-discrimination. The ''The commission, institution Is governed in thelr report, saw and administered with real troubles In that respect to the individual arena." Stewart said.

In a non-discriminatory "That separation Is so manner. There Is Important. And that led zero tolerance for later to the confi.lct with ." discrimination." . the outstanding pres!dent The last accreditation of the college, Dr. (Rtck) review netted NJC MacLennan. That criteria accolades. was violated."

"In this last Another area of accreditatl<;>n the college concern is that of got as hlgh as they've academic freedom, ever gotten in praise," Stewart said.

Ste.wart said. '"lt was so "l don't have time In praised for what they this hour to go through did in relation to the some of our complaintS finances, the Institutional from our original facilities, the students. one, but this one was the faculty, employees, seriously violated from administration and the documents and the the board. From my evidence that we have." perspective, I expected he said..

When a complaint that would happen."

But ~a new majority is flied with the on the board" has caused accreditation some serious Issues, commission, it Is taken Stewartsaid. veryseriously,Stewart When the Kootenai said. Sometimes tbey County Task Foroe find that complaints have on Human Relations no merit, but when merit joined several other appears to exist, they rights groups in flllng thoroughly examine it a formal complaint and take action. with the accreditation "I want 10 empbaslze review board, the something," Stewart said. board responded with ~When you are told that something Stewart did NJC Is a Uberal bastion not expect. that does not tolerate "Once they examined or respect conservative and accepted our views, that cannot complaint as having be 1n1e. because the merit. they particularly conuniSSion would not were interested in two tolerate that:· of our (complaints) The accI"edltatlon non-discrimination and commission is tled to the academic freedom:· Department of Education.

Stewart said.

When actlon ls taken "The conunisslon did concerning accredltation. somethlng extremely the Department of interesting thut was not Education is Involved in in our complaint: They that, Stewarlsairl added a complaint about the governing board."

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at risk qfloslng accroditatl,111, w.bich means that ,:redlts received for comple¥ classes would not be eligible to transfer to a univ.erslty, be said.

Federal funding can alsO be at risk. ""l want to be clear that there are other options to protect NIC lf that happens," Stewart said ''And I'm not saying ft will ever happen, but lf. 1t du!, the state does have the option of placing NJC under the University or Idaho. The college could be protected in the most serious scenario of thaL" For !he past 51 y.ears.

Stewart has worked closely with NIC faculty, staff, students and every president except Michael Sebaaly, the recently appointed intertm president. "l can assw-e you tbat faculty, stalf and students have been respected through all of those Sl years," Stewart sald."lhaveevldenceof thaL" 'l'hrough his 39 years of free public discourse with "The Popcorn Forum." allowing people from all walks of life to share their viewpoints without discrimination, Stewart can attest to NlC operating with the highest dignity and regard for all.

"Ourtng all of those years, we had people from the far right and the far left and everything In between." Stewart said. "We were nQt in the business of censoring ideas, and I have all the records. lf anyone ever challenges me, good luck, because 111 show them the record." ii;

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Exodus at NIC Seven college leaders leaving or already gone On Tuesday morning, Vice President for Finance and Business Following a chaotic Affairs Chris Martin meeting of the North sent an email to h is Idaho College board of colleagues. including trustees Monday night, his wish to retire two more college leaders following the board's announced their plans fallure to select a presidential search to retire.

That totals seven fir m Immediately. open or soon·to-be-0pen Tha l followed the leadership roles at a commltment trustees college that lacks a bad made In their president. resolution to former The Monday meeting acting president Lita Involved tabling Burns. tbe selectlon for a " 1 have to tell you president ial search firm that I left lhe meeting last nlght completely until an unspecl.fled time before the end defeated and resigned of the year and board to the current state of members entertained aftairs," Martin said tn the idea of keeping the the email. "I also left interim for a longer with complete clarity. period of tune than is SNNIC, A2 traditional.

By HANNAH NEFF Staff Writer

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e """1ooy Nortt, Idaho (;<>logo Taken et May's commencement ceremony, thla photo ellowa leadersol of Nonh Idaho College who have a1191dy left or will be INYlng Ille COiiege by II"! end of 1he "-I year. From left, Vice Pl'Mlclent for Sludent Seritcea °'9ydon Stanley, retiring Jan. 3; Dean of lnatructlon, Worldorce Ed-11on Christy Doyle, retiring Jan. 4; Vice President for Fina- Ind Bualneaa Attan Chrla Mmtln, planning lo retire at the end of the flscal year In June; Vice Pl'Mldent of lnatructlon Uta Bums, retiring Jan. 4; Dean of General StudlN Larry Brlgga, retlnd In May and fonner Preeldent Rick Maclennan, fired without cauae by the board on Sept. 22.

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Ot~ re lrlnti leaders and faculty on Sept. u1clW¥1 \/lci! Ja:esident 21 that she planned to retire on Jan. 4. ,_of1Mtructlon }.urns lllld Vice l'res1dant fo~ Sludent Serv\r,es GrayJJll tauJey. who wtl\_ both rei1te Ill early ,1anuar.y with Dov1e.

Tbat leaves three i;pen SP9\~ on tb'!. pre$ldent's cablllet.

Burns ~d !:he'd bt.'<ln pl!IIJlllnl( he,· . retue.men t for a while. bu, th6 timing was hard 9S id.- mer Dean of GeMnfr Studie: Larry Briggs !."'ltlred in May and she had anticipated former President Rick 'MacLennan would be terminated around August or some time after.

MacLennan was fired by the board without cause on Sept. 22.

"We were all sort of expecting that and so I didn't want to leave at the same time he did," Burns said. "Knowing all tbe chaos and challenges tbat were going on thls past year at NIC. it was really bard to think about when to actually leave," Burns notified staff

NIC

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If the Board will completely disregard a cleM commitment that they made lo Dr. Burns, who Is easlly the_ most respected 1n&mber of the Cabinet on campus and In the larger communttY, Ille)' wlll do the same .to any or us, our students, our community and Dr. Sebaaly."

After more than seven years with the colleg«1, ,Martin said In the email It's his Intent to begin aggressively ,;,ursuing other job oppo_nunlties and transJtion from his position at NIC by the er.J or the fiscal year.

That same morning after the board meeting, Chi isl) Doyle. Dean of lnStrUction · Workforce Education announced her retirement plan tu an email to colleagues.

On Jan. 4 she'll st,p down after over 20 years al 1he college. That tenure walt..s her the longest-serving dean at NIC.

With personal life changes and 20 years of service with the college, the last nine serving In her current pOSltlon, Burns said It was time to turn over her responsibilities and allow the opportunity for others to Instill nsw energy and growth.

Stanley announced on Nov. 5 that he would be retiring on Jan. 3 after nlnE years of service at tbe college. Over the past year, Stanley said be Jost some of the joy In his work leading from the actions of the board.

"It got to the point that going to a board of trustees meeting often fell like you were going into a place where there was a lot of conflict and disagreement and stress," Stanley said. ''When (MacLennan) was terminated that bad a lot of impact."

A candidate himself.

Stanley said that neither he nor any of his colleagues had

been Interviewed for the position of Interim president prior to the board's selection of Michael Sebaaly, NIC's hea<I wrestling coach.

That was a tipping point.

"It's not fair to the students I serve, It's not falr to the colleagues 1 serve with if I'm not 100'4 enthusiastic about what I'm doing," Stanley sald. "So It's time to mal<e a change.''

Positions for Dean or Enrollment Services and Dean of Instruction, General Studies are also open.

Tony Stewart, an almost 40-year former NIC professor and founding member of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations, said that in the history of the college, there has never been so many vacancies open in college leadership at once.

He said he hasn't heard of any other college or university ever being in the same predicament with almost all of their top

leadership leaving at the same time. ''The college Is going through, really, a crisis state," stewart said.

"What lies ahead is It's a very, very dlfflcult time at North Idaho College."

Sebaaly said in an email to the college Wednesday that plans to cover Doyle's responsibilities will be announced soon.

The three dean positions are in the process of getting posted, using recruitment support lrom the Pauly Group.

8ebaaly said Tuesday be Intends to announce cbairs of each search process by the end of the month.

Sebaaly said he's looking to create an interim provost position to fill in the leadership gap of both Vice President for Student Services and Vice President of lnstrucrton.

Chief Communications and Government Relations Officer Laura Rumpler said Sebaaly Intends to

keep the interim provost role as Interim only so the pennanent president.

Seblaty once hired, can choose to either continue with the provost model and ,hire a pennanent provost or have the flexibllity to hire two vice presidents.

"The liming of t WO NIC vice presidents retiring on the same day creates a unique opportunity for this change," Sebaaly said ln an email. "1 am asking constituent group leaders to be part of the process as I look at options to potentially move toward an Interim provost and hire someone soon, so this person can further the work of instruction and student Sl)rvlces this spring."

Burns, Stanley and Martin will be leaving annual salaries of $138,184.20, and Doyle a salary of $107.006.

. "It goi to the point that going to aboard of trustees meeting often felt like you were going into aplace where there was alot of conflict and disagreement and stress."

GRAYDON STMLEY, NK: Vice President fa,- SU1e1iSer.tes

lease understand l did not make this decision lightly," Doyle said in tbe email.

"Through much prayer and self-reflection, I have detennined my values and leadership philosophy are not congruent with North Idaho College's new direction."

official FBI communiaue that the ogency was .,..,,~ rently inclinetl to su.•p<Ct Conunued from 1 the Islamic Jihnd a.< the likely groupc after the papers' staffs were 1\..-o d!l)'ll l!U'eJ', Timothy merged in 1983.

McVei!(h an·l two others "He was • SpokBne kid wiUl li0$ to militic groups who wanted to be an inwe·e arre:.ted ft>r the vestigative reporter; said bombillg.

Chw:k 'Rehberg, o former •f!e was a n:-Jl 10\1fflalist newspaper executive who - fo~ old-fasl11oned kind. s.,rved os Morlin's editor nt He really worked hard one point on the Cnronicle. to get to the hard news; Newspaper mmage.rs a-jed snid D1'1l McC<>mh, ll forto move Morlin into nn edmer photographer for The itor's slot at one point, but SpokesmM-Review. he resisted.

McComb 6.rst met the •'H.e wQDted to be out newspaper's senior investithere, mixing it upt" Reh· reporter after he had gative berg said. been at the newspaper for He always wanted to be six months and wes about a reporter, his wife Connie supremacists, some of pulled off an assignment of Morlinsaid. photographing kids at the Ju a youngster in Peace- whom would spin off to ful valley, Morlin had three form their own groups thnt Eagles Ice Arena with in$m.Jctions to meet Morlin newspaper routes. He even committed murders and produced a neighborhood robberies. Morlin would at the airport.

Mortin had a rip that newspaper with a set of keep track and chronicle letters and an inkpad that their activiti~s, including Mark Ful,rmlln, the Los could be used as strunps. the bombing of the news- Angeles police detective nnd made his sister and her paper's Spokane Valley of- who was a key witness in friends deliver the finished fice nnd n Planned Parent- the O.J. Simpson murder products. He wus the editor hood office by a group that rrinl. wos there. As Mcof the Eastern Weshington called itself the Phineas Comb approached, MorUniversity newspaper in Priesthood. The bombings tin rold him to be quiet college, and Bn lnt<!m for were designed to distract and w8it while Fllhnnllll the Associated Press be- law enforcement for bank checked in. Re went up fore coming to work at the robberies committed else· the concourse and even• tually Morlin approached where shortly afterward.

Chronicle.

Morlin led the newspa· Fuhrman for an interview.

Katen Dorn Steele, who would later partner with per's coverage of the siege After they talked, Fuhnnan Morlin on an investigation ot North Idaho's Ruby walked up the concourse into Spokane Mayor Jim Ridge betWeen federal law toward McComb, who was West's use of city com- enforcement agents and taking photos. As the deputers to search gny dat- RBndy Weaver. He became tective got clos.,, he hit Mcing sites, said she first met a natiorutl expert, the go-to Comb with his briefcase, Mortin through the local reporter for information knocking the photographer chapter of the Society of on white supremacists and to the ground Bnd conrin• Professional Journalists other bate groups because ued hitting; McComb conwhen she was o reporter nt of hls contacts with local. tinued to shoot photos.

Fuhrman was reported· state and federal law enKSPS-TV. ly angry that McComb's "l Just really respect· forcemc.nt.

At one point, he wa~ photos might also show ed his work," Dom St..,le said. "Behind hi> uggres- so tapped in to federal his wife. who was accomsive reporting ~tyle, he re- law enforcement that he panying him. Mortin ran ally cared abo11t justice Bnd had a •scoop" his editors up. dialed the newspaper's wouldn't print. After the editor and handed Fuhrpeople and joumA!ism: "He was just • giant in Alfred Murmh .Federal man the phone. After • the field of journalism," Building in Oklahoma City brief conversation. the atsaid Tony Stewart, a re- was bombed on April 19, tack stopped. The photo tired professor at North 1995. Mortin bcgnn "work- that accompanied the next Idaho College who helped ing th.e phones" and devel- day's 6tory about rhe Fuhrform the Kootenai County oped n story that people mans shopping for n home Task Force on Human Re- invol~d with right-wing in North Idaho showed the lations to counter the pres· militias were suspected of detective striking at McComb but did not show his ence of the Aryan Nations carrying out the bombing.

The notional wires wife. in the region. "1 have such The two would later were reporting the prime adrnirntion for his work. l have never known a print suspects were 1.slamlc work together on stories about right-wing militias reporter who had as much extremists. The Spokes· knowledge of hate groups.• man-Review's editors held that allowed the pair to witness th~ir m1ining in In the early 1980s, Mor- Morlin's story, and the next tin began writing about day's front page Cll\rrit<d a the Inland Northwe.st forthe Arynn Nations and wire story that quoted an est,,. "Bill found ways to

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its leader, Richard Buder, at a compound north of Hayden Lnke. At the time. many regarded the group as a few crazy people Voll•o occasionally dressed up in uniforms to gnther in park,, or parade in the str,,.u, nnd wanted to downpll\y their presence in an nrca trying to estnbli~h ii!< wur, ism business.

"He never bought into thot," Stewart said, adding he and Mortin would tell people that ignoring Na.zis didn't work in Germany either. "He knew the danger ofit nll."

Over the years, the Ary· an Nations compound became n magnet for white

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Spokesman-Review reporters Jeanette White and Bill Morlln Interview serial-killer hobbyist Brian Csuk In his Spokane Valley apartment in 2001.

get people who would not · want to reveal things to reveal them to him." McComb said.

Morlin wrote about Spokane's Gypsy community and its clash with city law enforcement and prosecutors over a police raid.

He broke stories on a wide range of legal topics, from bodies that were allowed to decompose at a local funeral home to a "diploma mill" operating "in the Spokane area that provided phony degrees to customers willing to pay its fees.

The mill's mastermind, Dixie Randock, was eventually convicted of mail and wire fraud and sentenced to three years in prison. The newspaper traced people in government, academia and law enforcement who used the fake degrees as part of their resumes and produced a searchable database with thousands of the diploma mills' customers.

In 2005, he teamed with Dorn Steele on an investigation into then-Mayor Jim West and reports of past sexual abuse and allegations that he used city computers to meet young gay men on an internet dating site. West, who at the time was one of Spokane's most successful politicians, was later recalled in a special election.

Morlin had worked on the story - "following

threads," Dorn Steele said for years. But it was so sensitive that in the months before the story was ready for publication the two reporters were moved out of the nt!wsroom while they were researching it.

Dorn Steele said she respected Morlin's ability to get to the bottom of things.

"He could keep contact with all kinds of sources - cops, prosecutors, white 1 supremacists," she said.

"He was thorough and aggressive and fair."

The two retired from the newspaper on April 1, 2009, but Morlin kept working. The next day he started his own company, Morlin Investigations, and did research for local attorneys. He also wrote about hate groups for the Southern Poverty Law Center's Hate Watch and Intelligence Report, was a stringer for the New York Times and was a guest lecturer for college journalism classes.

"He was very engaged and very involved:' his wife, Conrue Morlin, said Sunday. He recently had heard from two sources, one a former FBI agent and the other a former police officer with information about two unsolved crimes and was "fired up" about two possible stories.

Beyond journalism, he was a woodworker, carpenter and furniture build-

er, and a railroad enthusiast who kept building on his model trains. He developed a love for trains while watching them cross the bridge visible from their home in Peaceful Valley, she said. He was an avid skier who was proud that he taught his granddaughter to ski.

Although people who knew Bill knew the Rolling Stones were his favorite band, Connie Morlin said his taste in music was so eclectic that he kept up with current artists and sometimes introduced his grandchildren to new bands.

He was hospitalized in the Sacred Heart Medical Center Intensive Care Unit with a gall bladder infection about a week ago and on Saturday succumbed to sepsis. But he was in good spirits until the end, and at one point asked his wife to get out a notebook and write down some things he needed to tell her.

Along with his wife, he is survived by son Scott Morlin of Spokane, his wife Jaimie and their daughters; son JeffMorlin, also of Spokane, his daughter and stepson; and a sister, Ann Morlin, also of Spokane.

Plans for a memorial service are pending.

Jim Camden can be reached at jim-camden@outlook. com or (509) 879-7461.

•

FREE TH E CARDfNAL! Bt KATHY CN<f'IEJ.O-OIMS and ~EN 000GE

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I Sunday, November 28, 2021

The Press

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A Reader Writes

NIC: Insight into political destruction Many times I have }leard locals criticize our pub~tchools. Invariably, whf,\ \..a sk them If they have-wi tnessed an actual class being conducted In the$a schools, they reply, ''No, but I know what Is going on."

Do they?

not. Was I "allowed" to disagree with a teacher's viewpoint? Yes, IF I could provide evidence £or my statement.

Actually. I attended three colleges: a private college, ~ . Idaho College, and a university. I worked hardest at N. I am frankly Idaho Colleae, I got more astounded by what from N. Idaho College. has happened at North But then, I had a group of lr!aho College, a place I excellent teachers: Mrs. .hold dear and where I Johnson for Eng)Jsh, Tony atl>'Jlded many clui;es.

Stewart for govemll¥!nt, Was 1 indoctrinated by Mike Bundy for U.S. any special r>l\Uosophy hlatory, and Judith Sylte or polltical viewpoint for world history. while at NIC? Absolutely When I went to

the university, I was surprised that disagreeing with the professor wasn't as accepted as It was at North Tdaho College In some of my classes, with history being the exception.

So where was this Infamous indoctrination that detractors have described?

In learning and In teaching there are times when a variety of opinions are all valid Tal<e the fall of the Roman Empire. I remember In Roman history class, there were

12 reasons the empire fell and we were to pick three of the most Important. There was disagreement among the class members. Did Or. Coonrod discourage that disagreement? Did he insert bis opinion into the discussion? No. he encouraged disagreement with the same caveat my North Idaho Colle~ teachers had demande\i: that we back up our statement with evidence.

What the truth is, oonceming North Idaho College and our local schools, is that a certain

political group wants their opinions to be taught, their beliefs to be embraced. and that students come out of college in Hne will\ their poUtlcal philosophy.

They seem bent on destroying any Institution that doesn't follow tl\eir extreme viewpoints down to water and sewer boards, school boards, and city councils. It's all about power and It looks like when they get that power. they lay waste the lnsUtution itself with their Ineptness.

Let's not Jet North Idaho College, or for that matter, any other boards or councils be indoctrinated by these extremists. We can certainly rectify this incompetence of board members by recall or by the next election.

North Idaho College Is particularly dear to this community and is also an economic boon to the local economy . We must thwart these efforts to destroy lt.

Donna Horue)' Is a Hayden f1!$/dent.

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Tony said the Koote nai to advocate."

County Task Force for Human For infonnation, v1si1 idaboRelaiions (KCTFHR) continues huroanrighis.org.

10 assist la" enfo=ment on Dean told of the Hate Docubehalfof victims, to consult with mentation project of the Spoknoe people who face bias. to have a County Human Rights Task •peakcrs bureau and to offer hu· Force, which began io 2016, man rights cducwion. has 23 dirertors, wh,• represent Tony himself continue, to JL\ c::rnity io ~ender, mce, ethnic,-rite guest opinions in l~I ity, :;,.xual identity, religion and media. consult and pro,•id<: ma- ubihty. Directors also represent 1erials for seholars.

D<'l tpm fit agencies, higher eduA political scientist, lecturer. cation and local governments. author and activist, he taught po"Our mission is to guard and litical science and was a pre-law advuncc human rights so people advisoC" at Nol!th Idaho College feel safe, welcomed and infrom 1970 lO 2008. eluded," be said. "We promote During thnsc years. he also positive human relationships and produced the ··North Idaho Col- monitor hate in aU its forms.'' legePBSTV-PublicForum·•and Its Hate Doeumenuuion Projdocumenlnries, including a l (). ect was created to monitor hate week series in 2006 on the then crimes, ns nationally only 25 to 25-yeur history of the KCTFHR 42 percent of hate crimes are from 1981 to 2006. reported to law enforcement.

"We address how some use A hate crime is an action that fear lllctics to manipulate seg- causes injury, damage or threat. mcnts of the population to gain It is an incident where the mopolitical power," he said. "fear tive is to attack an individual or was used during the Jim Cro" an individual's community. it era. Our bbtoiy includes policies can come from speech used or a . during the Great Migration rrom crime committed.

Eut<.>pe to discriminate against When gathering information Irish and ltaliru, Catholics. and for the report, it is important to Jewish immigrants, and more collect data that is specific. To recently the LOBTQ community. help that happen, a person can "Some on social media label file a report anonymously. social justice and diversity as The reponcr answers: ls the communist docllrine, rather than person reporting the victim, a seeing them as eslllblishing dem- wimess or a third party? Whal ocratic principles to guarantee is the address and the setting? freedom and justice," Tony said, On what daie did it happen, and quoting former Sou1h African at whru time? What was the moPresident Nelson Mandela: "To tiva1ion? Who were witnesses? deny people their human rights is Were police present? Describe to challenge their very humanity.'' the crime in detai I. In his four decades teaching The informmion shared is eneolJcge students, he did not '"" tered into the database. Privacy education addressing historical of the person tiling the report is injlL~tices used to create guilt. but maintained, Dean said. ffthe perrather saw it us,-d to "encourage a son wishc.,, a follow-up. contact new path toward social justice.'' will be madt • Tony is impressed with the A compilation of the infonnaintelligence, wisdom and com- lion in lhe Ilnte Documentation passion for human beings by Project's dalabase is shared ancollege students as ihc path to nually with the comm1.D1ity and is I.Dldersl8Jlding social justice and made avai lable on the task force embracing diversity. website in English, Spanish and "Our public education system Russian. Other languages will is key to kteping a democrati- be added. cally representative governHme crime documentation is ment." he said. "To challenge necessary to assure approprihate, we need to be informed and ate community rc.sponse. Hate

crimes may be reported 01www. reporthntebias.org.

Fur infonnalion. visi1spokaneco1.1111yhwnanrightstaskfrrce.org.

B~nda s aid t.hat th" Bonner County ll uman Rights Task Fo, ce, which wa.< founded in J 992. ce lebrates 11, 30th yenr in 2022 .· Shesrokcoft.hc importan~-c of being orgnnw.'CI to stand against hate groups. The task force formed to counter a vision by some in the 1990s IQ create an all-white Aryan homeland in the Pacific Northwest and infonn people of t.hc agenda tactics of white nationalist groups who chose the area because it lacked diversity.

The task force now hns more !hon 500 members.

••we vow never to be silent in fuce of hate,'' Brenda said. It's important to create opportunities for people to speak out and take a stand.

The task force disseminates information and gives people a voice. empowering them to feel t.hey can act in accordance witb I.heir values. They are proactive. using ihe framework of the United Nations· Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

111ey support educational activicies in schools and collabonuc wi1h other human rights groups.

In this time of increased polarization. the task force st-eks to be apolitical.yt1awareofthcagenda of some on the fur right to take over governments on all levels.

Task force mc,nbcrs learn to talk to p<.-Ople whose beliefs differ from their own. ~we need 10 speak less from lcctems and pulpits, and have t.he ability to speak with and listen to people across the kitchen table, seeing them ns human beings beyond labels," Brenda said. .. Each person is due respect.

"Our goal is not 10 act out of anger or fear. but to build bridges

instead of walls," she 5,1id.

For infonnation, visit bchnf. org.

Travis McAdam uid the more than 30-year-old Montana Human Rights Network u-cks to work in two directions: from the state level down and from com. munity members up 10 counter white nationalism and pammilitary groups.

They research and monitor extremist groups.

"That is to say we do opposition research," Travis said. "Extremists work hard to spread a sanitized version oftl1cirbeliefs."

The information they gather helps educate others on what "the real, unfi ltered views ofgroups in our area rue," ru,d influences how the press describes them.

The press and public want verification of the rcselreh, so t.hey double check on occumcy and triple cheek word usage and lobels. They ask: Will 11-e information create good or hann?

They need to be thoughtful about how and when 10 use I.heir n..'Seareh, Travis said.

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The infonnation they share helps inform actions that arc taken. Concerned people who come together to counter the fur right need ,nfonnation thars real and guidance on how to use it.

The monitoring and research nol only help do that. but also crn,11e relationships with new allies, who can offer convergence with their research.

"Different groups and nctivisis can play different roles in working for human rig hts," Travis said. "The dynam,cs in rural areas can be difli:renl lrom urban areas."

This suuewide organiuition can help r.:mow pressure from local groups as it provides ,.._,. search thnt helps people understand what they see and process it for future events, he said.

As he closed. Travis advise'(), "never underestimate the power of people coming togcU,er to do good to push back against extremism. " ft only happens when people find each 0U1er," be said.

For infonnation, see mhm.org.

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'Ibey request students.

faculty, staff; administtators and members o{ the board o{ trustees be ava.Dable for

from A 1

County TasJc Force on Human Relations and the human rlghls task forces c.Spokaoo, Bonner and Boundary eowtties. the letter fullows a first complaint seot in March.

Two follow-up letters were sent Aug. 26 and Sept 10.

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In July, the NWCCO reQllin!d NIC to sub1nit an ad hoc report no later than Aug. 1, 2022. for evaluation and possible follow-up monitoring.

But after the latest complaint, the onsite visit

was requested by the

NWCCU to oocur as soon as possJble, preferably during the week of Jan. 17.

A panel of regional representatives oC higher education will review NIC's compliance with NWCCO Eligibility Requlremenis and Standards for

Aa:reditation, and "undertake an · oosite i n q u i r y ~

Circumstances related to

tinanciaJ sustainab!,lity and student outoomes as a result d recent decisions undertaken at NIC, including by Us boanl of

trustees."

Sebaaly said that as there's still a lot about the process.they don't !mow, NWCCU President Sonny RaJna,;wamy and Senior Vloe Presidel;lt Ron Larsen will be meeting with Sebaaly and Steve Kurtz, NIC's aa:red!tation liaison offia!r, to discuss specifics oC the visit Kurtz said tbe "fact-finding'' visit is treated a little differently than the

He said all the details am pretty much up to the NWCCU and that be and SebaaJy will learn more about the J)l"OOeSS through

tbe meeting.

Sebaaly met witb members of the president's cabinet and Executive

Accreditation Committoo ~ Wednesday as well as infonnlng the board of

trustees.

. "As we get more information, we will share ft out and be as lransparent

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"W,e am going • to conttnue said: to meet and ))l'eJlare for ihat visit" I The NWCCU's Dec. I letter indicates it Will be looking at the "demonstration d high ethical standards in govetnanoe, IJ18Dagement, and operations, including the NJC board of trustees• responsibility to ensure m!egrity and 1ranspareocy of ilS deliberations and · actions, ethical treatment d stakeholders and

constituents, adherence to slatutocy l'l!Quiremenls and Institutional policies, :1nd adherence to conflict of

mterest poijcjes."

Through ~C's

e

oommunication officer, Banducci told The Press on 'lbmsday he is asking bJs fellow trustees to set aside differences and work 10 support Sebaaly at the visJt in January.

'Tm confident Dr.

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Sebaaly and bJs kladership team will present the visiting team with an accurate picture that we're listening to our communily, giving them the learning

Student Services Graydon Stanley announced Nov. 5 he will retire Jan. 3 because d change, made at the college through the board oC trustees. On Nov. 16, Vice President of Finance and Business Affairs Chris Martin announced bJs intent to look for other job opportunities due to the

want," Banducci said vla Laura Rtnnpler. "When the board

meets with represenlal:ives

from tbe COlllDlission, 111 take their fact.finding mission with serious credence."

Other conoems listed by the NWCCU inclu®:

actions oC the board.

Christy Doyle, dean of Instruction - worl<force

education, announced her retirement Jan. 4.as

• Eligibility conceming the sufficiency of fllcully, staff and administratol'S to in1egrtty and continuity of academic

she said she determined

"ensure

program$"

• Eligibjlity ~

"NIC's financial bealth and sustainab!,lity in

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22. Banducci. Barries and McKeozle voted against a poUcy for

measures and

procedures to prevent the spread d infectious diseases as required by Idaho Code

33-214.5.

"The Institution has an effective system of leadership, staffed by qualified adminislrators, with appropriate levels . of responsib!,lity and organ.lzjng and managing the institution and asses&Dg i1s achievements

direction. 'lbe college now has two Interim deans and a search process underway for pennanent replacements.

provost She'll take over the roles d Stanley and retjring Vioe President for lnslruction Lita Bums.

Regarding health and sate environment, on Sept

and worl<: envirorunent'' The most recent complaint raised concerns about college leadership and management The standard lt refers to says;

a<:oountability, who are charg,ed with planning,

her values and leadership phi]osopby were not congruent with NIC's new

Sebaaly asked Kassie Silvas, a fomier NIC dean, to return to NIC in a new position as interim

for "maintenance d NIC's physical facilities to ensure a healthy and sate learning

and elfectiveness."

including president, all three vk'e president roles and all"lhree dean roles._ ";J

Vice President for

experienoes they

light of potential risk due to staff and faculty departures, declin.ing student emoDments and withdrawal d dQnations'' • Eligibility providing

The college now bas seven open or soon-tobeopen leadership positions,

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Trustee Ken HOwanl, an attorney, said at that meeting the board

was in

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diseases.

On

llnancial

coocems.

Rump]er,

Howard

chld

communications and government relations officer, said the COllEl!J) remains COllllllittl!d to maintaining a close watch over resources and

ex;peoditures.

Rwnpler- said that during NIC's most recent .reaffih:nation in am, the oollege received a oonunendation for I

stewardship and linanciaJ IDanagement and has ~nofsteDar lllaDagement

and prudent

long-tenn

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fiscal planning.

Rumpler said the F'Y21 ~ audit Rumpler by the board on Nov. 15 stated "the COiiege has been diligent with an audJts

and has a strong balance sheet that demonstrates the college's ability to maintain stability.''

Howewr, support is declining for the private,

independent charitable corporation, the NIC

Foundation, whicll provides scholarship support and

program enrichment for

NlC studen.ts.

Steve Malffllon, president d the NJC Foundation Board of Directors, corifumed the

I

complalnt statement that longtime sponsors of the NIC Foundation have indicated They are not going to continue their contributions for the near

future. Thal will result in lhe loss of millions of

dollars for programs and scholarships, Materson said.

He said the foundation has received multiple communications See NIC,AB

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from donors concerned about tbe actions of the board of trustees.

In addition to prior concerns. the Nov. 1 complaint by the human rights task forces questions trUStees' decision to hire head wrestling coach Sebaaly as Interim president after the firing of former president Rick MacLennan.

Sebaaly has no record of administrative leadership.

The complaint cites a standard that says, "The institution employs an appropriately qualified chief executive officer with full-time responsibility to the institution:· Other candidates for the lntemally posted interim president position included two vice presidents, a dean and interim dean, a division chair, director and chair of the staff' assembly.

These candidates were not Interviewed, nor were they discussed for the role, tn.lStee Christle Wood said.

At the Oct. 12 board

meeting, trustees

Banducci, McKenzie and Barnes voted to

move the requirement of flve minimum years of experience In h.lgher education administration/senl.o r leadership

"'''"

were more stringent, the complaint said.

In 2016, requirements included experience working with tlnance and budgets, fundraising

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preference, allowing Sebaaly ' to quallfy.

The only requirement left for the Banducci position was a master's degree from a regionally accredited institution.

Banducci said at the Oct. 12 meeting he wanted to open the position to more people, as the requirement was too lim lttng.

Preferences Included progressive senior-level administrative experience at a community college, experience working in business and Industry and/or career/technical education and higher education leach.Ing experience, based on the job posting.

The task forces' complaint satd Sebaaly met onJ.y the blgher education teaching experience preference.

He has a doctorate In educational leadership from Southwestern College In Winfield, Kan. In contrast, the requJn,ments for the ~16 presidential search

preparedness policy and procedures, American lndlaD communities and communlty,buUdlng, among many more.

The candidate also had to demonstrate a . cotnmitment to diversity and comprehensive understanding of the accreditation ptocesS. The complaint said they believed the 2016 qualifications more appropriately fWlllled the requirements listed in the NWCCU standards, and "the board deliberately diluted the requirements to all.o w someone not appropriately qualified for this position to be selected."

Trustees Wood and

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the vote

to appoint - ~' Sebaaly. ' Wood said .- , there was no integrity or : honesty in Wood I the selection process.

"Trustee Howard and myself have been very vocal and upset at the disrespect shown to our community and.employees

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by the majority of the board as they employed a sham of a pnxess to se.lect

an Interim president," Wood said in an email to The Press.

Wood said the Weg!timate process is no reOection on Sebaaly.

Sebaaly said he's employed by the board of trustees and thinks it chose him as interim because he's uniquely qualified. Be said his educational dissertation was on board governance at community colleges and he understands th05ll relationships.

'Tm working hard through difficult times and rm leading, and I'm helping and rm serving OW' people," Sebaaly told The Press. "I'm proud of what I've done.''

Sebaaly said he has expertence in bridging relationships. recruiting. retain.Ing, transfemng,

l\mdralsing and other leadership areas as a coach, and is using the same skills as interim president He said his leadership is displayed in what he's done at the college as well as other institutions.

"All of those experiences create who I am. not Just one Job," Sebaaly said. "Based on my varied experiences, the board selected me and rm proud to serve and work with them."

Although the trustees signed a Jetter of commJtment to addressing and resolving concerns from ihe NWCCU ln May, the. Nov. I complaint states the human rights and relations task forces have seen no evidence to lndlcate the new board majority was taking steps to correct the concern, and have simply ignored the ~1IJ_plalnts.

"Enough time and actions have occwTed over the last 11 months under the new board majority to remove any doubt about their w!lllngness to clearly violate individual constitutional rights and well"4lStabllshed accreditation requirements and standards." the complaint said.

The complaint said if NIC is allowed to continue to defy and ignore criteria listed by the NWCCU. it will ''establish a dangerous precedent and challenge to the NWCCU

'fhey il!cluc!e that It Is tl\el.r vi,ew, based on the cummt board majority's Ideology, no President or administration will be free to implement policies of the board without micromanagement of the

board.

"Based upon the <hleply held extreme ideoJOgicaJ positions by the lhJ"ee.men1ber board majority, along with their commitment to their dedicated political base, we see no way forward to accommodate their entrenched pbllosophy with the requirements for its future work with of the NWCCU," the institutions it oversees as complaint said. to accreditation."

Sebaaly said that in Based on continued regard to diversity, the actions of the board, the environment at NIC is hwnan rights task forces healthy and safe for all foresee in NIC's future: students and provides • Threat to health and access and opportunity safety of students and for the community. employees, for example Rum_pler said one of banning the face mask NIC's longstanding core mandate; ' values is diversity and the • A sertous crisis in morale that Will negatively essence of a community college Is supporting affect student instruction learners of all abilities in the classroom; and backgrounds.

• Signs that diversity, NIC's accreditation cultural sensitivity and is 1n good standing. global awareness will be However. Burns said at under attack due to the the Oct. 'l:7 board meeting extreme philosophy held by the new boal'd majority that wit!Jout a pattern of change in the board's emboldened by the supporters of the new NIC behavior, that status may change. regime who are publicly Should the NWCCU labeling social Justice and diversity programs as communist doctrine.

"The alleged verbal and physical attack by trustee Todd Banducci on a female employee that Dr. Rick MacLennan refused to ignore (raises) the question who will now guard against such grievous acts," the CO!!iplaint said.

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Northwest

A12 I Sunday, l>Kimber 5, 2021

~Rainbow Squad, you're not in this alone Individuals feel unsafe and are targets or Intolerant adults. That RElATIONS can lead to lifelong harm Special to The Press to the victim's self· games. esteem and wellbeing.

The vocal actions Tho Kootenai County II Is very disturbing and signs by the adult Task Forte on Human when a group attempts to protesters toward the Relations is deeply the rights of their violate teens and their parents concerned and troubled were clearly Intimidating fellow citizens. especially learning of the vocal young people. The fact protest direeted at teens and caused trauma that the protesters have in some of the young and their parents at constl!utlonal protections It ts sad and people. the Post Falls Library. and guarantees or Cree !lainbow Squad members of great concern when speech and peaceful we reach the point in and their parents were assembly does not our society that some simply attempting to

By KOOTI:NAI COUNlY

TASK FORCE on HUUAN

enter the library ror their monthly meeting to participate In various crafts, activities and

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detract from the negative impact those actions bavl' un U>t, youth.

As some of the protesters held religious signs to support their cause. may we remind the protesters or two verses in the Christian Faith admonishing us how to treat our fellow human beings: Matthew 7:.12 (English Standard Version or the Bible) "So whatever you

wish that others would do to you. do also to them. for this I~ the law and the prophets."

Matthew 12:31 (Englisl\ Standard Version or the Bible) "The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'

There Is no other commandment greater than these."

On Thursday. Dec. 2, the KCTFHR Board of Directors appropriated

$500 to the Community Library Network to cnvP.r the purchase or refreshments for Rainbow Squad monthly meetings for all of 2022.

The KCTFBR Board also released this statement "We stand firmly behind our theme: That AU Human Beings Have Righti;. And we oppose discrlminatlon or harassment of any of our fellow human being5."

1

THE S0 0KESMAN -REvIEW :

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'Extremely Concerning': Investigators to visit NIC Idaho Board of Education calls for action forsake of college, students. commwlity

ByG1911Mason ntlSPOKISMAII-UVUIW

lnvestlgllton appointed by the agency that accredits North Idaho College wiU visit the col· lege next month oo the heels of another complaint concerning the conduct of NlC's Board of Trustees.

In light of the ongoing accred· itation concerns, the Idaho State Board of Education released a

statement Monday urging the college to address these istues as soon as posS1"ble.

Filed last month by the Koo· tenoo County Task Force on Hu· man Relotions and the human rights task fon:es of Spokane.

Bonner and Bo11ndary coun• ties, the new complaint lists concerns with events that hnve transpired since their initial complaint with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and

Universities in March.

In particular, the gl'OU!l$ are accusing the NIC Board of Trustees of continued and ad· ditional violations of NWCCU accrL-ditation eligibility requirements. They specifically called out the three-member board mo· jority consisting of Chair Todd llnnducci. Vice Ch~ir Michael Barnes and Sceretary-Treasurer Greg McKenzie, North Idaho College ~mlUD·

Kootenai County Task Force On Human Relations Committed to the elimination of prejudice and bigotry.

Contributions to the KCTFHR are Wf tax deductible P. 0 . BOX 2725 Coeur d'Alene, ID 83816 (208) 765- 3932 www. ldahohumanrights. org

tajned accreditation through the NWCCU since 1950. Accredlta· tion North Idaho College eligible far fedenl financial aid and allow~ more opportunities for a student's credits to transfer to another institution.

In a letter to che college Wednesday, NWCCU l'resi· dent Sonny Ramaswamy said the commi5$ion has appointed

=ke•

See NIC,9

NIC Continued from 1 a panel of regional higher

education representntives

for an in-person. on-site investigution.

Ramaswruny requested

"Wr urge you to ,·om· plete rhe :t.c,!l'edltation Response Action· Plan as developed by (NIC Vice Pl'esidcnt of Tnstruction) Dr. Lita llums and po,ted on NlC's website as soon as pos.<ible and in good faith." they said.

In th<: letter, Liebich and

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time next month for inter-

views with students, mew• ty, staff, adminisD'ators and trustees. The evaluator team will come to NIC for a full day of meeting,; the week of Jan. 17, according to the college.

"Our expectation is that this on•site review of t:he situation at NIC will serv,: to support the colleg>?'s continued compliance with NWCCU's Eligibility Requirements, StlUldards for Accreditation and Pol· icles and Procedures." Ramaswamy WJ'()te, "'"and, as

such, ensure fulr.Jlment of ~ college·~ mission fo. cuscd on the ,-uccess of its students."

An NWCCU investigu• tion ls already underway into the 6rst complrunt filed by the human rights groups. The complaint referenced allegutions of threatening, aggressive and unprofessional behavior exhjbited bi• BAn· ducci toward employees, D'UStee. and former Pres· ident Rick MacLcnnan. who raised these issues in Jan,uary - months before he was fired by the board without cause.

As part of the investigution uito the initial complaint, the NWCCU requested NIC submit an ad hoc report to the commission by Aug. I, 2022, to show how actions taken by ndmmistrators and trustees meet accreditation eli-

gibility requirements.

Kurt Liebich. president of the state Board of Education, and board Exec• utive Director Matt Fretman wrote in a letter to trustees that they believe acrion must be tuen and resolved well before that deadline "for the salce of the College, students, and the community.''

Freeman said the complaints and an ensuing exodus of senior lenders at the institution - including thret college vice presi· dentS set to depart by the start of next year - "is ex· tremely concerning...

The letter listed the potential consequences with losing accreditation, including the devruuntion of NYC degrees, the inability for NTC students to !rans· fer their credits to other accredited institu.tious in Idaho, ineligibility for NIC students to Gpply for the state's Opportunity Scholarship and a negnrive impact on North Jdobo employers, many of which require prospective employees to have an educational background from an accredited institution.

Stnte officials indicated the Board of Education plans to discuss NIC's issues during the group's next board meeting Dec. IS in Boise. ..In short. action or inaction by the Colleg,,'s :Board of Trustees that places accreditation at risk would result in long-term injury to the very students you

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accreditation is currently

soUd, stUdents aren't los· Ing any ground, and their

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were elected to serve," Li·

ebich and Freeman WTOte. "lr would also significantly impair the College's ability to recruit and retain students, fuculty and staff.

Indeed, the very viability of the College itself could hnng in the balance.

"We respectfully request that you set aside parochial or partisan interests, tmd urgently focus on t:he best interests of students and the College before both are irreparably banned." the letter conclud.c d.

In a statement Friday through the college, Bnn· ducci said he is asking his follow D'UStces to set aside their differences and work together to support NIC interim president Michael Sebnaly when thei• m~t with the NWCCU•nppointed team in January.

"1 m confident Dr. Se· baoly and his le~dership team will present the visit· ing team with an accurate picture that we're listening to our community, giving them the learning experiences they want and taking I care of Norrh Idahoans," :Banducci snid. "l shared ot the last board meeting, and I will sh11re again. this ls a long-term process. Our

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credits will transfer.

"When the board meets with representative from the commission, I'll take their fact-finding mission with serious credencet he odded.

McKenzie nod Barnes did not respond to a request for comment.

Trustee Ken Howard is "deeply D'oubled" by the current state of affairs created, be said, by Banducci, McKenzie and Barnes. He said change is needed whether that's in attitude or board membership.

•The public has to do that. These are elecred offices, and they elected these three individuals."

Howard said~ "I'm trou• bled by the fact that there is no fix that I or (Trustee) Christie Wood could do at this point in time. It's got to be those three members that have to handle the change. I'm not confident at all thot they wiU!.'

Wood N:hQed Howard's sentiments in a statement,

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saying "the continued violations of srate and federnl laws, failure to follow NIC policies, ond complete disrcgurd for college accreditntion standards" by the majority •could have a dire effect on NIC's ability to serve our community."

"I implore the D'Ustees to understnnd the incredibly serious implications, and quit behavillg as if they are free to ignore all ,s tnn• dards in order to ~chicv~ their own personal agendas," she said.

'Getting worse

andworso•

In their response to the NWCCU in June. D'UStees 11gn-ed to start working through the issues raised

by MacLennan while readdressing leadership roles.

Local human rights leaders alleged in the second complaint that not only hu that not taken ploce, the bo:ird "has since demonstrated that it has no intention" of following college policies.

They cited how trustees moved in August to amend college policy and give the board 6nal authority on preventative measures for

communicable djseases, effectively stripping that authority from the college

president.

At the time, MacLcnnan warned that the action wns rushed, as changing col· lege policy involves multiple readings and opportu· nities for public comment.

The groups also referenced the methods ,pplied by the board in temporarily replacing MacLennan - who was fired in Septem· ber - with Sebaaly. the col1 lege's wrestling coach.

Requiring only a master's degree from a region• elly accredited institution, the interim president job posting was much less stringent with requirements than those sought during the college's presidential search in 2016, ac• cording to the complaint.

Additionally. none of the 10 opplicants were interviewed.

The corr.plo,nt 'dleg.,s ,hat the •tandarrls used to b.lrc Sebaaly wure "<ielit,. e,:otely diluted' anc! filll sht1tt of ,eaders" ip Sl;lUJdards ,-eq_,ured fur NWC· CU acC"editntion. 'riie human rights i.~oups· ar.., imploring the NWCCU to act quicker. ~ Stewnrt, secretary for the Koot1>nai County Tusk Force on Humoo Relations and a retired NIC politico] science professor, said the second complaint was essential for reasons including whot's raken place since Morch, the· upcoming presidential search and on-campus morale Issues. uour conclusion with the second complaint is that it was our foremost opinion that there would be a lot more serious domoge taking place before next August,• Stewart said.

"This has just been escalating and been getting worse and wotSe. It's really a crisis at the institution." '!'be complaint concluded \vith a posucript, not· ing how longtime donors to the Nonh Idaho College Foundation are planning to discontinue their contributions in the near funtre due to the OJll!Oing situa• tion.

NYC Foundotion President Steve Masterson verified the statement, saying the foundation has received multiple communications from donors "'ex· pressing concern related to the actions of the NIC Board of Trustees."

He said the foundation

" stands to lose millions of dollars in current dona· dons and potential legacy guts toward programs and scholarships. Legacy gifts are made to the foundation after the death of the donor.

'The to,-. of

concern Is real' Whereas the NWCCtT has requested an on-sito visit in light of the second complainr, NlC was allowed initir.Jl)' ro respond to the iirsr "nly in writinf said Steve -;K,..rtz. the co . lege's accreditation Uaison officer.

Upon receiving the NWCCU letter, Sebaaly said he calleo • joint meeting of Presidel)t's Cabinet and the college's El<ecutive Accreditat1¢n Commit• ree to start planning for a response. Re also said he planned to speak with the Board of Trustees.

Using a response pion prepared by former acting president and current VP of instruction Burns, Sebru,Jy so.i d the college administratlon and the board will continue working through the first NWCCU complaint with the understanding that the ad hoc report is due by August.

The interim president an.d other college leaders met Friday afternoon with Ramaswamy and Ron Larsen, an NWCCU instltutional staff liaison, to discuss the logistics of the Janu..,-y site visit.

"These are serious allegations that NIC will nor take lightly; Sebaaly said in a message ro the comg,us community Wednes ay.

1 'While our accreditation is solid today, we cannot take that for gr:tnred and as you will read in the NWCCU letter, the tone of concern is real" Part of the coming review_ concerns eligi ility requ1rements and Stltn· dards linlced with NIC's financial health and SU$· ta.inability given a number of staff and faculty departures, withdrawal of foundation donations and according to the NWccu' declining student enroll: ments.

During the Oct. 27 Boord of Trustees meeting. colleg,, officials reported that the total headcount for 1 NIC's fall term was 4,581, , down 3.5% compared to J

where it was last October.

That marks a declining trend since fall 2017 when the college's total headcount was 5,391.

NlC's numbers show spring 2022 enrollment is up 7% compared ro rhis time last year, said NIC spokeswoman Laura Rumpier.

"Enrollment projections cru, grow or decline from week to week," she said, "so the college remains committed to maintaining a close watch over resources and expenditures to ensure the college remoins in a strong. sustainoble nscal position and welcomes discussion with th.e NWC· C1J visiting te3m on these issues in Jnnuary."'

The NWCCU intervention follows a signilicanr transition period for NlC. The college will have a number of Va.cant senior leadership positions to start Z022, with some departing officials citi11g the board's actions among the reasons for their exits.

Burns, vP of instruction. will retire by early January, along with Vice Pres• ident for Student Sen,jces Graydon Stanley and Dean of Instruction, Workforce Education Christy Doyle.

Meanwhile, Vice President for Finance and Business Affairs Chris Morrin - who pr~viously indicnt• ed he intended ro leave by the end of this school year - announced Thursdny his departure date has moved up. He will leave in mid-Jru1uary to take the vice pre.,ident for finance and administration :tnd chief financial officer position with Salt Lake Community College.

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I To belp fill the void, Kas;sic Silvas, NlC's former dean of Career, Technical ruid Workforce Education, will come out of retirement to serve as interim provost starting Monday.

Sh" was selected by Sebnnly for the role.

Stewarr also rook issue with how Silvas wos se• leered without other •P· plicants to the interim provosr position.

"Nothing 11g11inst that person; he said, "but the r-hole process has broken

«lown."

Greg Mason can be reached

pt (S09) 459-5047 or vegm@spoke.man.com.

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With accreditation jeopardized, college could lose local control, funding

By MADISON HARDY and HANNAH NEFF

Staff Writers COEUR d'ALENE - The State Board of Education is urging North Idaho College trustees to "set aside parochial or partisan interests" before accreditation concerns cause "irreparablett harm to the college, students and the community.

The SBOE holds constitutional and statutory authority over all state educational institutions and public school systems. In the Friday letter signed by SBOE President Kurt Liebich and Executive Director Matt Freeman. officials outlined the 1onqme1·ous and severe" consequences <if losing accreditation.

NIC accreditation is already under review by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

Idaho Code 33-107 says Idaho postsecondary institutions can accept course credits only from $Ceroclited organizations like the NWCCU. The letter stales that without accreditation, assoclate's degrees, general education and dual enrollment credits from NIC would "no longer be transferable to other Idaho institutions."

"To put a Oner point on It, a degree from an wiae<;redited institution is a liability. not an asset," the SBOE letter states. "Perhaps only an unscrupulous and predatory diploma mill ~

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From left, retlrfng NIC Vice President for Student Service• Graydon Stanley.and former NIC President Rick MacLennan greet a gueat at the going away party for retiring NIC leaders at the Bob and Leona OeArmond Bullcllng on NIC's main campus on Monday.

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NIC students share accreditation concerns she's worried about the consequences should NIC lose accreditation.

COEUR d'ALENE Gonzalez said i.t - With a visit from would be detrimental the accredJtatlon to dual-credlt students organlzatlon looming, Ukehersel.fifNTClost some North Idaho accreditation. They College students say would need to do all they're concerned about four years or school what's ahead for NIC. at a more expensive Others, meanwhile, university rather than aren't even aware the get their associate's and college's accreditation general education credits may be at stake. finished through the Victoria Gonzalez, community college. an 18-year-old senior at ''That puts a lot of Coeur d'Alene Charter kids at a disadvantage, Academy and dual-credit and it's not even their student at NIC, said fault." Gonzale-L said.

By HANNAH NEFF Staff Writer

'1t's a board ~ -. _· · thing."

NIC's planned I'"'" onsite visit ~) " . from their accrediting organization. the Gonzalez Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. was sparked by a second complaint to the commlsslon over actions of the NTC board of trustees, sent from the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations and human

rights 1as · kBonner forces and of Spokane.

Boundary counties.

Vice President Lita Burns sald In an Oct. 31 emall to a concerned student that if these concerns are not satisfactorily addressed, it will likely take two to three years for the college to lose accreditation.

The Fast Forward Program through the Idaho Department or Education provides See CONCERN, AS

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every student attending an Idaho public school an allocation of $4,125 to use toward advanced opportunities, including dual-credit college courses.

"That's really valuable to a lot of people," said Anne Kerr, a l7-yearold dual-credit studen t from Coeur d'Alene High HANNAH NEFF/P!OSS SchooL "To North Idaho College Student Dana Parsons, shut that magazine editor for The Sentinel, NIC's student down and news organization, puts out copies' of The Sentinel's get rid of a lateat magazine Issue on a rack at the Student Union lot of people, Building at NIC's main campus In Coeur d'Alene on that's going Monday. to be really tough." lost the.ir accreditation,"' Response Action Plan, The only Parsons said. "lt stlll set aside "parochial or community Kerr affects bow I perceive partlsan interests" and college in NIC and how people focus on the students North ldaho, NIC had perceive the degree 1'11 and best interests of the 5,392 enrolled students in have.'' college.

2020, according to Vice Parsons said she also The Press published President of Finance and would love to work at a details of the action Business Affairs Chris college, and If NIC loses plan and possible Martin. its accreditation, not consequences from the "As it is, there are only will it be a huge NWCCU on Oct. 29. already so many people Kerr said she worries job loss for many, but who can't afford to go t o a connection loss with college," Kerr said. "Take that the trustees will make decisions affecting higher education In the away the community Coeur d'Alene area.

NIC's future and colleges and leave only "I don't think 1'11 accreditation without universities, (and) even continue my education th.inking about the higher rates of people here if it continues the aren't going to be able to students. way it does," Parsons NIC Trustee Christie attend.'' said.

Wood said she'll If NIC were to Jose In the latest issue of accreditation, assoclate's encourage the board to cooperate with tbe SBOE. The Sentinel, Parsons degrees, ge,n eral and other Sentinel Dana Parsons, a education and dualenrollment credits would jouma.J.\Sm student at NIC members put together a timeline of the actions of edltor for the college's and no longer be transferable NIC board of trustees to other Idaho (or other student news organi7.ation. the The Sentinel, said gaining to inform students about states') in stitutions, what's happening at the a deeper understanding ac~rdlng to the Idaho college.

State Board of Education_ of the situation through of the magazine Copies writing for the student Kerr said she thinks can be found 1n rackS at magazine has led to a.lot if NIC were to lose NlC's main campus in of stress. accreditation, most Coeur d'Alene.

Parsons said that students who haven't "I Just want people to besides possible effects yet transferred would be know what's going on," discouraged to continue on her <1egree, if NIC's Parsons said. "Talking accreditation is taken their education, and to students and even possibly could not afford away she'll always live community members, with the fact that she to retake classes If I don't thl.nll.-a lot of went to a college that .need.ed. people really know. lost its accreditation.

1n a letter to NIC in-depth, everything " l can't really trustees dated Friday. that's been going on and proudly say I am an NIC the SBOE asked trustees alumnus without having bow serious the loss of to follow the steps in accreditation is." that idea of, 'Ob. they NIC's Accreditation

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would recognize credits from an imaroredited l.n stitution."

If the NWCCU were to suspend accred;t;ation and NIC operations. NIC would also be under complete "control of the State Bo;lrd," per LC. 33-2143.

A team of four NWCCU evaluators will visit the NlC campus Jan. 18 to review the college's eligibility for accreditation. including financial stabillly and the impact of recent trustee decisions on stud.e n! outcomes. The site visit notice came after NWCCU received a second complaint Nov. I about the board of trustees· actions.

The Press reported on the NWCCU's upcomlng visit on Dec. a.

SBOE ofllcials said they're deeply concerned about the

current trajectory Qf NIC. particularly the complaints submltted to the NWCOU and the departure of top.level leadership.

"Action or Inaction by the College's board of trustees that places accreditation at risk would result In long· term injury to the very students you were elected to serve," says the SBOE letter. which was sent to NCC trustees and area legislators. "It would also signlficanUy impair the College's ability to recruit and retain students. faculty and staff. Indeed, the very viability of the College Itself could hang in the balance."

NIC President Rick MacLennan was fired without cause in September. and six other leaders have either left or announced their departures.

In an email to the college Monday, NIC Interim President Michael S<!baaly said

I

to talk J MC,~~ soon with Freeman. I-le · . ' ' 1 also plans to • ! meetwiU1 the executive accreditation team this Sebaaly week. "lt's Imperative that we listen lo one another and work in partnership, putting our students first In all decisionmaking," S<!baaly said in an email. "It's lmportant for our board and our I community to recogn.lze tlle role the SBOE has in helping us execute the delivery of higher education in our region.''

Coew· d'Alene Rep. Jim Addis. the father of an NIC graduate, was both "hopeful" and "confident" that the college wUI not lose accreditation despite the strongly worded letter.

"I don't think the board, the Interim president or anyone wants NIC to lose their accreditation," Addis told The Press on Monday.

"I would Imagine everyone will work hard to do what needs to be done, and I'm confident that they'll have some success.''

The State Board plans to discuss NIC accredltatlon Issues at Its Dec. JS meeting In Boise.

N(C Trustee Christle Wood said that in her 2S years as both a former school board and NIC trustee.

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"This ls ' definitely a warning to our board to follow all standards." WOOd said. "I deeply respect the SBOE's role in ensuring NIC meets the

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education standards set by the state, and I will encourage the board to completely cooperate with them."

Trustee Ken Howard said he sees the action from the 'SB0h: as a positive move.

"I'm glad that the State Board of Education has taken an interest in trying to help us resolve our dlJJiculties," Howard said. ldaho requires higher education institutions 10 notify NJC students if their credits won't be accepted. Students may also request reconsideration. Still. loss of accreditation could cause many students to repeat courses at upper•level Institutions for a greater cost.

"If accreditation is lost. the value of a degree from NIC will be significantly reduced, or even negated e ntirely, for all studen1s: · the SBOE letter states.

Other consequences of losing accreditation listed by the SBOE include: • NIC srudents would be lnellglble for Idaho's Opportun1ty Scholarship • Students would not have U1e course credentials wanted by employers, which could "negatively impact the ability of many northern Idaho businesses and Industries ... to meet their workforce needs" The State Board's letter emphasizes the "importance and implications of the potential loss of regional accreditation:· Coeur

d·AJene Rep. Paul an NIC gran~te, Amador said. sou,,d!!d a ho '" c~ "In maay ways (NIC) urgency. l{j) belle',ir Is the lifeblood of our •· h1s semimen~ 'are 1 Fhared by •·fboU!anos <>f community," Amador pwple," making recent said. "Maintaining regional accredi~tion_ hi llvants Iha! much o\ore <US1p!ssin!f. critical lo the f\l\ure vf ";\s of Jan. l , !hare our community college wUI be no vice pr8$ldent and the current Md or pres1de'1t at the school future students at NIC." that was there just a State Board officials couple o( months ago:· are advising college trustees to complete the Widmyer said Monday.

"We had a fantastic IO.step Accreditation . college down there, and Response Action Plan now the1-e are some real presented by Vice President for Instruction challenge;, to whaUts futu1-e will be - if it's Lita Burns ahead or stUI going to be a great the NWCCU's Aug. 1 school or go In the tank." deadline.

Of top concern to The Press reported on th Is plan In detail on Wldmyer are NIC's inability to serve Ocl 29. students and how the "(NIC) Is Important, not only to tile students "drop off" in enrollment that are pursuing higher wUI Impact the local education but also to the workforce. ln his words.

"No students means business community," Coeur d'Alene Sen. Mary no jobs means a bad economic situation for Souza said Monday.

Coeur d'Alene." ·• Adult learning is The root of N(C's incredibly important for problems, Widmyer many who have other jobs and want to increase said, is that the "elected people don't have the their capacity for best Interests of the advancement by taking Institutions in mind." classes at NIC." He was referring to the She encouraged the three trustees who fired community that "these MacLen_nan, among other things wUI be worked decisions: Board Chabout" and said she lsn 't Todd Banducci, Greg concerned about NIC McKenzfo and Michael "going away or being Barnes. discredited."

None of those three "I think we all need responded to a Press to take a deep breath," request for comment on Souza said. "Let's try the State Board's letter. to stay positive and "Elections have remember we have thls consequences," Widmyer wonderful community college. Let's support all said. "I think the State Board of Education needs that are involved and to take a very active role hope the process does in correcting this issue Well" and do whatever they But Coeur d'Alene can to fix this."

Mayor Steve Widmyer,

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1~ 5 centuries at NIC sound off Group's letter joins chorus of voices worried about college leadership on Colleges understand It Is not and In the purview of the Uroversitles Northwest Commission and trustees called targets on Colleges and for acUon from the A blast from the past trustee Universities to interfere has joined the chorus of college's accreditation with the innet· workings those concerned with the organization In the wake decisions that could of institutions, It seems of numerous concerns direction three trustees are taking North Idaho over the leadership "ultimately - - -• that you may well Christle be able to express in mean the ofl>oard of trustees College. powerful ways your members Todd Banducci, loss or Not just one blast accreditation for the reservaUons concerning McKenzie and Greg 66 of them. college" and calls for the implications about MJcbaeJ Barnes.

In a Nov. 17 Je1ter what you've come to The letter sent 10 the help. acquired by The Press.

"Whlle we fully understand Is happening fonner and retired North Northwest Commission

By HANNAH NEFF Staff Wriler

Idaho College faculty,

staff, administrators

at NIC," the letter said.

The letter was signed by 66 fonncr and rerired NIC afflliates who served l,514.S combined years at the college.

"1 think that's an Incredibly powerful statement about the concern that we have about what's going on;' Tim Christie. a retired SeeNIC,A9

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l\'JC's ac.;n>dimtion Is under review by the NWCCU and a site visit from evnluators l'I, set for Jan. 111. '!be vl.ll The Press

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'"Ibars the kind or invcsonent that people made to that school" Christle co-authored the letter. He said many slgnei:s, Including hlmseU: spent over half their life at the college.

NJC trustee Ken Howard said Tuesday he was happy to see a wide array <1 people who h:id a close association with the college express their conooms about the condition of current affairs. '"!'bey have an intimate knowledge of what goes on at the college and to see their concern e."tpressed is something I support," Howard said.

Virginia Johnson of Coeur d Alenc. a retired 0

Engllsh instructor and fonner division chair of the English, communication and fine arts dlvtslons, spent 43 )le.ll'S serving the college.

So far. Johnson said. s1ie·s the longest-term employee ever at NIC. Jolmson said she helped craft the letter because she felt the voices of retirees would have an Influence on the commission and make them aware of some of the trustees' actions.

Johnson said she's not cel'taln the trustees have l'eally understood what damage they can do if accreditation is revoked.

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was sparked by a second

complaint from local human rights task forces.

They initlally cited the actions of board chair Banducci and trustees McKenzie and Barnes, calling them "countl'.r to civil and human rights and civll liberties •• Howal'd ~ 1ie·s O&n<iemed about the situation. He said lt IVOllld be hard for him to think tile lhl'ee trustees didn't understand the importance of the situation because it's been dlscus!lecl in m ~ '1 do not undet-stand their actions ln terms of the way they've condu1-100 themselves.•. Howard said.

'1 don't tmderstand the reasons for that."

Johnson said she Juul never seen boru'd meetings like those held In the last few months. with the lack of regard for other boai;l mffllbers and former President Rick Macl.ennan. ,Johnson referenced the Sept 22 meeting, where Banducci silenoed MacLennan. After the president was fired without cause and wlshcd to address the board.

Banducci told MaclJ.mnan he'd already had his tum to speak, "I've ne,"Cr seen anybody be so rude and unfeeling to someone," Johnson said "(There was) no regal'd for (MacLennan's) position."

Through her four-plus decades or service at the college. Johnson sald she has attended many board meetings as well as been on sean:h committees for around 100 employees.

She said it seemed that board members Banducci McKenzie and Barnes we~

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encouraging destruction rather than supporting and encouraging exoellence at the college. In all the years she's worked at NIC. Johnson sald everyone's had the success of students as their No. 1 priority.

"I c1on·t see that regard for students in what the board members are doing."

Johnson told The Press. "'!'hey seem to have a plan to do somethlng to take the college down."

NIC trustee Christie Wood said pefSOl)a! agendas and partisan politics ha,-e been infused Into board leadership by the majority of the board.

"This has to stop," Wood said. ..We have 100 much to lose for our community to allow it to continue."

Jack Beebe, a fonner NlC trustee and board chair, told The Press that when be was on the board, their whole goal was to make sure NIC was a community college and wasn't set up for particular types of political philosophy.

"We weren't there to indoctrinate anybody •· ,I Beebe said. ''That's not what college ls all about."

Beebe said he's L'On<:erned the board Is becoming too politicized instead of focusing on the well-being of college students Allie Vogt. who retired · after 34 years teaching in the art department, said the college today is one very diJferent from the ooo she kn~ - an ~iitution that served. supported and embraced the community.

'Tm jttSt sort of struck by that Jack of support and Integral kind of listening and understanding for the things that are Just esst!ntlal to the community," Vogt said. "I'm really saddened by the state of things now."

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·vog1 salil the three trustees aren·t rocuslng on the good of the institution, Whlch includes supporting fuctllty and adminlsirato1-s. She saJd Oring a president. who was d~Jcated to the college 1russ1on was damaging to the institution and unsupportivc of faculty and students.

Karon Ruppel who retired In June after serving 24 years at the college in roles including the division chair of health professionals and NJc·s accredltatlon llaison omcer. said the lhn!e board members are operating outside their roles as trustees while violating !!stablished policies and procedures.

"We !lave a oonoem that we're seeing a demise and chipping away of the conetie·s well-being." she said.

F:vPn thouet, trustee candidates run In nonpartisan elections, Ruppel said politics have played a key role In what's been happening this year. '!'bat includes four college leaders departing in !'arty January Positions including the J)l'eSiilent. aU three vice pl'esidents and all three dean positions are either vacant or will be by the end of the school yeai·.

"That part Is really sad," .Ruppel said. "When you th!lt kind of leadership, il takes a long time to rebuild...

Banducci. McKenzie and Barnes dld not respond to a Press request for theb:

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"All these program, e.ight of whom internships focus on are Tribal members or Tribal values and core descendants. "Climate" beliefs: membership, Is an acronym for stewal"dshlp, I "Connecdng with guardi.a nship, our Land, lntegnttlng spirituality and Modern and Traditional scholarship," Allan said.

Eplstemologles." "l feel like they're really The program had app(ylng them so the three over-.ttching goals: youth can grow up with • For youth to them. It will benefit us connect 111s1orlcal and ln the future... contemporary uses of The- pilot project math and science to the was made possible protection of the1r lands with funding from and water as affected by the Kootenai County climate.

Task Force on }Juman • For youth to develop Relations, which a deeper relatioru;hlp awarded nearly $7,000 with their homeland for Climate Explorers through land·baslld after receiving a grant learning. and to proposal from Chris understand how legal Moyer. executive director and political policies of the Coeur d' Alene impact Its environmental Tribe·s Education health.

Department, and Coeur • For youth to d'Alene Tribe climate establish community research and policy observation sites and analyst Laura Laumatia. learn how to etrectlvely "The pannershlp

EXPLORERS

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Itself was so w11nderfu.l because it gave us fi'et;l rein to describe what the Tribe wanted, and that was to d~vel9p a connection_ b<ltween the young people and their lan<L.,ca~," Laumat hi .aid.

Funding also allowed organizt,rs to buy hiking socks and boots, backpacks, safety equipment, two dlgttal microscopes and wat<'r quality field kits for the students, :is weU as snacks and lunches.

"It was such a wonderful success." Task Force secretary Tony Stewart sa Id of the pilot program.

Supporting Climate Explorers is just the start of a "new dimension•· Into which the Task Force will be expanding, Stewart said.

"We're going lo start giving grants to human rights t!l"OUPS," Stewart said. "We're just broadening out and we're excited to do that. ..

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"I've never bt.'<'n For three weeks Involved ln that stuff," during the summer, he said. "It helped me IS.year-old Chief Allan connect more with the grew closer to the land of Coeur d'Alene Tribe... , ancestors.

The Coeur d'Alene "One or the things Righ School freshman I remember that was was one of nine really cool was digging youths to p.,rticipate In the pilot Climate plant that is Important Explorers Summer to the Coeur d'Alene Youth internship people. We even got to taste some of it," be -said, See EXPLORERS, C2

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Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations, Coeur d'Alene Tribe partner for successful youth program

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Members a nd leade rs of the Climate Explorers Summer Youth Interns hip pilot program are pictured here on Ga.ndy Dance r ll'all In Heybum State Park. From left: Rhea Jansen, Gonzaga undergraduate volunteer Intern; Dasi Moses and Eva Wlndlln-Jansen, Coeur d'Alene Tribe Department of Education; Peter Mahoney, Coeur d'Alene Tl'lbe cuttural resources protection program manager; a nd Climate I Explorer lntema Kai Dalio, Lake City High; Chief Allan, Coeur d 'Alene High; Donnie Aett, Lakeside High; Andrea Rojas-Johnson, Lakeside High; Northstar Garvals-Lawrence, Lake City High; Marcus Lowley, Lake side High; Cassandra Brown, Lakeside High; Jemarl Peona, Lakaalde High; and Jartua Moffitt, Lakeside High, 1

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Coeur d'Alene Tribe water resources specialist Ben Scofield talks to lntema about native and Invasive weUand plants.

The Press, Saturday, December 18, 2021

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cLoca·1 State, keep an eye on NIC DetJr Members of the St.ate Boord

of &iucarion.

Re: North ldaho

Collpge:

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Martyof you know me from my days as Chairman Of the Senate John Education Goedde Committee ~

and an

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original member of your Accountability Oversight Committee. l applaud you for taking a hard stand in your letter of Dec. 3 Please understand that every day, decisions are being made at the local level which have a negative Impact on the future

of North Idaho College.

Please find below some of

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Ben Scofield, Coeur d'Alene Tribe water resource. specialist, and Jemarl Peon&, Climate Explorers lntem, take a look at some macrolnvertebrates In upper Hobo Creek In the St. Joe Natlonat Forest.

See MY TURN, C3

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my Immediate concerns: I) There has been a suggestion that the

or

employment the form.e r wrestling coach as Interim president may go on for as Jong as three years. l have no Wea of the qualifications he brings to U1e office but, from what I understand as the circumstances around his hiring for the position. neither did the board of trusteeS. There was no fonnal interview process whereby candidates were vetted.

Also. a fairly high prospect of nepotism bas also been alleged.

North Idaho College should be told now to employ a Orm 10 aid them in the hiring of a credible president to help the college ln this Immediate lime of stress.

2) You have suggested that U1e college complete an accreditation response ~til>n.Jllan as S<IOD as 1 iiossible."t 48k you fo .a date for the plan ID be submitted to the State Board; "well before" is not enough.

3) I ask you to ,:onsider the students currently attending our community college and ] hope you have bad 'lhe chance to read their ''Sentinel." which la,ys out :student concerns. As a proponent of dual credit opportunJUes. I ask why a high school student would risk taking classes which may not be transferable when they are ready to attend a four year · lnstitution.

set

4) North Idaho College bas lost a number of key administrative positions since the firing of the former president for no cause. Faculty fears their jobs under the current leadership.

While these positions may be filled. the loss of institutional knowledge cannot be replaced. While respecting local control, I urge you help reassure those tilculty members considering leaving to stay the line for a short while longer, suggesting board oversight ln the future if necessary, 5) The fate of the Head Start program ln North Idaho College ts in jeopardy due to the lederal requirement that federally funded programs must have a mask mandate.

Currently, NJC serves 280 Idaho children. Our communities can W afford the loss of this program but it Is In the hands of the NtC tn!Stees and. ultimately, yours.

1 have no faith that the current leadership of North Tdaho College Is going to change the way they are doing business. t believe I am jolned in that belief by a good number of buslness people In our community. I urge your expedience in moving th is work forward.

Respectfully submitted, Jolm W. Goedde

• City of Coeur d'Alene Fire Department "fibJ, o/, ~ ,

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Kenneth G. Gabriel Fire Chief 300 E. Foster Avenue Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814

www.cdafire.org

Admin Cell FAX Email

(208) 769-2340 (208) 755-9711 (208) 769-2343 kgabriel@cdaid .org

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