Attorney John Parrinello, a longtime member of the Monroe Community College board of trustees, is urging board president Richard Guon to scrap the current search for a president and begin a new one.

Parrinello has sent a letter to Guon, asking him 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." Parrinello said this afternoon that he has told Guon that he was sending the letter and gave him the general sense of its contents - and that Guon "seemed receptive."

If that's the case, it's likely that Parrinello's recommendation will be approved and the board will start a new search process. The search for a new president has split the board into two factions, and Parrinello and Guon are among six members who voted to add two of their own choices to the list of finalists.

Parrinello said that he wants the board to appoint a new search committee, and he wants each board member to be able to submit names. And he said he would want that committee to do more advertising for the position locally than the previous search committees did.

Asked if he wants the current finalists notified that they are no longer finalists, Parrinello said, "No, no, no." The board should meet and vote either to discontinue the current process or continue considering the current four finalists.

"Unfortunately," Parrinello said, "the process has been flawed. And the publicity has not been favorable to MCC."

Parrinello said there was no problem with the faculty search committees submitting their two names. "But it was always agreed upon," he said, that the board could submit names as well.

Parrinello's letter to Guon cites 17 reasons for his request, many of them attacking former board chair Lori Van Dusen. Among them:

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.

Attempts to reach Van Dusen for comments this afternoon were unsuccessful.

In his letter, Parrinello also complains that members of the board were treated disrespectfully at Monday's board meeting, when the board added former County Legislator Bill Smith and Rochester business owner Dennis Kessler. Trustees were booed and jeered, says Parrinello's letter, and Parrinello himself "was greeted with disrespectful outbursts."

Parrinello also criticized MCC faculty members who have been fighting the addition of Smith and Kessler to the list of finalists. "Faculty members of MCC have repeatedly made public announcements that it was their intent to take a vote of no confidence in the Board of Trustees if anyone other than one of the two finalists recommended by the Search Committees was selected as president," Parrinello wrote.

Parrinello, a well-known, aggressive Rochester defense attorney, has been on the MCC board for 10 years and served as chair for six years.

The Parrinello letter:

March 28, 2008

Richard M. Guon, Chairperson

Monroe Community College

27 Mountain Road

Rochester, New York 14625

Dear Mr. Guon:

After giving much thought to the events that have occurred since President Flynn announced that he is leaving at the end of this academic year, I urge you, as Chairperson, 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.

The reasons for my request for a special meeting to abort the Presidential Search are as follows:

1. Former Chairperson Lori Van Dusen appointed a Presidential Search Committee without consulting the Board of Trustees. That action on Ms. Van Dusen's part breaches the guidelines for Presidential searches for community colleges, established by the State University of New York (University) Board of Trustees which states: "As soon as is practical after a presidential vacancy occurs, the college Board of Trustees should appoint a committee..." That did not happen in this case.

2. At the time of Ms. Van Dusen's resignation as Chairperson, because she disagreed with the consensus of the Board of Trustees of MCC as to who should be the Chairperson, Ms. Van Dusen threatened that she was going to "go public" and left the meeting.

3. Ms. Van Dusen, while still Chairperson, selected a head hunter without the knowledge and consent of the full Board of Trustees. The head hunter was paid an unknown sum of money. I question whether the proper approvals were retained regarding his contract.

4. When I requested to be placed on the so-called Search Committee appointed by Ms. Van Dusen, Ms. Van Dusen polled the Board, and I believe that I was the person that got the most recommendations, but Ms. Van Dusen told me that she would never appoint me to the so-called Search Committee, despite my ten (10) years of service as a Board Member and Board Chair for six (6) of those years.

5. There were no ads placed locally for candidates for the MCC Presidential Search until members of the Board complained.

6.) The guidelines for Presidential searches for community colleges established by the State University of New York (University) Board of Trustees states: Confidentiality is most important, and anyone agreeing to serve on a search committee must respect this principle."

7. Before most Board Members knew the name of the finalists recommended by the so-called Search Committee and the Faculty Search Committee, the names and profiles of the two (2) finalists appeared in the Rochester Business Journal, followed by the Democrat & Chronicle.

8. At the Board of Trustees meeting on March 24, 2008 the heads of the two committees announced the names of the finalists, which coincidentally, were the same from each committee, although, each Committee assured the Board that there was no collusion. The Board was told that not all Search Committee Members attended every meeting. We need attendance lists to determine if each Committee Member was eligible to vote.

9. During the March 24, 2008 Board of Trustees meeting, approximately 39 speakers were allowed to present their views the Board. Each speaker spoke uninterruptedly.

10. At the March 24, 2008 meeting, attended by approximately 300 people, mainly faculty members, tenured and untenured, cheered for those Members of the Board who voted not to add any additional names to the two finalists recommended by the Search Committee.

11. When it came time for those Members of the Board who favored adding the names of two local applicants which was within the process agreed upon by the Board, the 300 attendees booed and jeered those Trustees.

12. As I spoke during the discussion period following an amended motion to add the names of two local applicants, I was greeted with disrespectful outbursts from those in the audience and one tenured professor actually stated "John Parrinello, you are single-handedly responsible for destroying MCC". That comment was slanderous, disrespectful and hurtful in view of the fact that I have only one vote and had assured the crowd that no one had told me who to vote for and that I was reserving my vote until we had interviewed all four finalists.

13. Faculty members of MCC have repeatedly made public announcements that it was their intent to take a vote of no confidence in the Board of Trustees if anyone other than one of the two finalists recommended by the Search Committee was selected as President.

14. One faculty member wrote "The board's allegiance seems to have shifted towards the interest of constituencies external to the college. It is demoralizing to have a small board in which student success has become secondary to other goals." That written statement flies in the face of the dedication of the Members of MCC's Board of Trustees who have served with distinction for many years.

15. The Faculty Senate wrote a letter to you in which they stated at one point: "Some people have questioned the commitment of Board members to place the College's interests above their own individual pursuits." There is absolutely no basis for the Faculty Senate to make that statement.

16. I have been told by a highly placed source at MCC that he/she was told by SUNY that if William A. Smith, one of the finalists, is chosen as President, that when his name is submitted to SUNY for approval, that Mr. Smith will be "DOA". I cannot and do not believe that the SUNY Board of Trustees will reject whomever's name is forwarded to them as the MCC's Board of Trustees choice as President in view of the fact that the process has been followed.

17. I have also been told that a highly placed person from MCC has met with one of the finalists recommended by the Search Committee for two hours and discussed matters concerning his application.

For the reasons stated above, I believe that the MCC Presidential Search process has been compromised and should be aborted.

Sincerely,

John R. Parrinello

Board Member