Barely four days old, a missive written by Rochester attorney-personality John Parrinello and posted on City Newspaper's website had already become a pseudo-historical document.

The letter was sent Friday and was addressed to Richard Guon, chair of the Monroe Community College Board of Trustees. Parrinello urged Guon to scrap the current search for an MCC president and begin a new one. Parrinello, who is on the board, called the current process flawed, and asked Guon to "convene a special meeting prior to the interview of any of the finalists for the purpose of aborting the so-called Presidential Search that has taken place."

Guon has set a noon meeting on Thursday, April 3, at MCC to discuss Parrinello's concerns. The meeting is open to the public.

The search to replace retiring MCC President Thomas Flynn became controversial when the board of trustees bucked the will of two search committees and much of the college's faculty. The board added two politically-connected names to the short list: Bill Smith, a Republican and former county legislator, and local businessman and UR adjunct professor Dennis Kessler. Critics say the search is being manipulated to give the presidency to Smith, with Kessler thrown in as a red herring. There are nine Republicans on the MCC board, and one Conservative. The search has split the board into two factions, with Parrinello and Guon among the six members who voted to add Smith and Kessler.

The other finalists for the presidency are Kenneth Ender, president of Cumberland Community College in New Jersey, and Laurence Spraggs, president of Broome Community College in Binghamton. Both men have other opportunities, besides the MCC position. Ender is under consideration for the president's job at Greenville Technical College in South Carolina, and Spraggs is a finalist for the presidency of Manatee Community College in Florida.

The board of trustees is scheduled to interview Ender and Spraggs during the week of April 7. Interviews with Smith and Kessler have been postponed until after MCC's spring break, which is April 13-20.

In an interview with City Newspaper on Friday, Parrinello said he wants the board to appoint a new search committee and he wants each board member to be able to nominate people for the presidency. And he said he wants more local advertising for the position. In his letter, Parrinello cited 17 reasons for wanting the board to abandon the current search, many of them an attack on former board chair Lori Van Dusen.

City Newspaper has not been able to confirm the veracity of Parrinello's charges: with the exception of Parrinello, board members are declining to be interviewed. They are referring questions to board chair Guon, who has not responded to City's request for an interview.

Parrinello's letter, however, provides an insight into the depth of the division on the MCC board. Among his charges:

• That while she was board chair, Van Dusen appointed a search committee "without consulting the Board of Trustees." (The board itself was supposed to appoint the committee, Parrinello's letter says.)
• That when Van Dusen resigned as chair of the board after disagreement with some board members, she "threatened that she was going to ‘go public' and left the meeting."
• That while she was chairperson, Van Dusen "selected a head hunter" without informing the full board.
• That Van Dusen refused to appoint Parrinello to a search committee, despite his request.
• That no ads were placed locally for the presidency position until some board members complained.
• That names of the finalists were leaked to the Democrat and Chronicle and the Rochester Business Journal before most board members knew their names.

The letter can be read in its entirety here.

The selection of MCC's next president will have to be confirmed by the SUNY Board of Trustees. Dennis Golladay, SUNY's vice chancellor for community colleges, was at a riotous March 24 meeting of the MCC board - which, at times, dissolved into a shouting match between board and audience members. SUNY officials are aware of the allegations that the search is rigged, Golladay said.

Ultimately, Golladay will make a recommendation to SUNY board members about whether they should approve the MCC board's selection.