Ccs Panel Criticized For Hiring Decision African American Group Says Scc Chief Should Have Gotten Job

Tue., June 23, 1998

Grayden Jones Staff writer

An African American citizens group said Monday that the Community Colleges of Spokane may be guilty of “unfair employment practices” for not hiring a qualified black administrator as chief executive officer.

Jim Williams, the 52-year-old president of Spokane Community College, lost an initial bid in May for the $112,000-per-year chief executive job, the top post in the CCS district.

Williams was one of four finalists. However, three others found jobs or dropped out before a search committee could recommend a candidate to the board of trustees. That left Williams as the apparent favorite.

Members of the search committee said they were not satisfied with only one choice, so they did not recommend Williams to the board. The committee will continue to take applications through Jan. 1, 1999, to recruit additional prospects.

“This doesn’t make sense, and we think it’s unfair,” said Edward Thomas Jr., founder of the Spokane-based African American Forum. “If you run in Bloomsday and somebody drops out, that shouldn’t mean you have to start over again.”

Robert Lloyd, editor of the Spokane-based African American Voice newspaper, also was baffled. He said he couldn’t understand how the committee members could boil down their choice to four finalists, then not hire any of them.

“As far as I’m concerned, Jim Williams is either qualified for the job or he had no business being a finalist,” Lloyd said. “If they wanted him, they could have got him.”

The Forum, a 35-member citizen’s group that promotes African American concerns and awards scholarships, sent a letter last week to Gov. Gary Locke, asking him to step in and force the CCS to hire Williams. Locke has not yet replied.

Of the 14-member search committee, three members are African American, including chairwoman Roberta Greene. Greene, a city councilwoman and co-owner of Empire Ford, could not be reached for comment.

Betty McInturff, chairwoman of the five-person CCS board of trustees, declined to comment on the Forum’s allegations.

CEO candidates are vying to replace Terrance Brown, who will retire June 30. He manages 1,100 employees who serve 23,000 students in six counties through Spokane Falls Community College, the Institute for Extended Learning and SCC.

Williams, a Washington State University graduate who was named president of SCC in 1995, said that he will continue to be a finalist for the chief executive’s job.

“I don’t think being African American has put me at a disadvantage,” said Williams, who also lost in his bid this year to become president of Bakersfield College in California. “I obviously had support of the entire search committee to become a finalist.”

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