![](https://edsource.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IMG_2417-1024x768.jpeg)
Fresno City College December 5, 2023
Source: Lasherica Thornton/EdSource
The Fresno City College community continues to be shaken by an EdSource report that found Tom Boroujeni, a tenured communication arts instructor and president of the school's academic senate, committed “acts of sexual violence” against professors and colleagues at nearby Fresno College. there is. Status in 2015.
At Wednesday's Academic Senate meeting, several professors criticized the board and called for change, with attendees using the public comment period to ask, “Why not prosecute this (Boruyeni) case or something else?”
Wednesday's meeting was the first Academic Senate meeting since Boroujeni was placed on paid administrative leave Nov. 30 following the EdSource story and the professors' subsequent decision to cancel classes.
Due to his administrative leave status, Boroujeni was asked by Fresno City College President Robert Pimentel if and how he could speak at Wednesday's meeting.
He did not show up, but the possibility that he would attend the meeting excited many of his colleagues. However, his absence did not hinder the discussion of him, his case, and the actions of the Academy under his leadership.
“You are our faculty leader. We look forward to your guidance on issues that concern us,” Kherstin Khan, lecturer in communication arts, said at the meeting. “Your silence in the face of the controversy has exacerbated divisions in the faculty and left many of the people you represent feeling marginalized and marginalized.”
Because Boroujeni is on leave, Jackie Williams, president-elect and now acting president, asked those wishing to speak in the conference's public forum to focus only on concerns about academic and professional issues related to faculty, curriculum and work-related issues.
“We’re here to address the issues that are on the agenda,” Williams said.
She told EdSource that while she believes in maintaining confidentiality for the victims she supports, she does not believe anyone's personnel issues should be discussed in a public forum.
“I have seen first-hand how assault investigations can re-victimize and traumatize not only the survivors of the incident, but other survivors and those close to them,” she said. “Therefore, I firmly support ensuring that matters remain confidential and handled by appropriate legal and human resources professionals unless survivors choose to share their stories.”
But she hasn't stopped people from speaking publicly about Boroujeni or the Fresno State incident. She declined to comment on criticism of the board.
What does a Fresno State case entail?
Boroujeni has taught at Fresno City College since 2015, the same year he began his studies at Fresno State while a graduate student. The alleged victim is also a professor at City University and a colleague of Boruzeni. State Center Community College District, the parent institution of Fresno City College, learned of the sexual harassment investigation when the alleged victim requested a no-contact order, which was granted for the spring 2022 semester.
Records show the state of Fresno opened an investigation under a federal anti-discrimination law known as Title IX. The investigation found that Boruzeni committed sexual assault in 2015. At the time of the incident, Boruzeni was working as a part-time instructor at Fresno City College while completing his master's degree at Fresno State University, records show.
Debbie Adishian-Astone, Fresno State's vice president for administration, told EdSource she was unable to discipline him because he was a graduate student at the time the violent incident occurred. Boruyeni resigned from Fresno State in 2022 after officials said reports of sexual assault behavior would be included in his personnel file.
The Fresno State case was not considered because Boroujeni was elected president of the Senate at Fresno City College or will have completed his term in 2023. This was true even after the community college district investigated the victim's request for a restraining order and confirmed that a sexual assault had occurred.
Fresno State released a redacted version of the report to EdSource under the state's public records law, explaining: “Given that Mr. Boroujeni remains active in education and teaches at a local community college, the college instructor has previously been found to have committed acts of sexual violence at other colleges,” the statement said.
Academic Senate Presidency
In May 2023, Boroujeni began a two-year term as President of the Academic Senate at Fresno City College. In that role, Boroujeni works with the school's administration to set academic policies and recruit faculty. “He finished his two-year term as president-elect and then took over as president of the academic senate, which doesn’t seem to be working,” said Tiffany Sarkisian, program review coordinator and instructor of communication arts at Fresno City College. “He said.
Sarkisian urged the board to create a task force to examine the validity of the ordinance, which she said should be updated with changes to the nomination process, voting process and board duties.
Williams said the board is reviewing the ordinance in light of the situation.
“We are looking at everything and addressing some of the points that were raised that were not addressed by the ordinance,” she said.
The bylaws only address the resignation or removal of officers and do not address what officers must do when they are on leave. According to the ordinance, dismissing an officer requires a written petition detailing the reasons for the dismissal and the signatures of 25 percent of academic senators. 50% of senators must vote to remove a president.
According to Williams, anthropology professor German Loffler submitted a petition last December calling for Borujeni's removal. Loffler later withdrew his petition.
“We do not have an active petition. This is one mechanism to start a conversation,” Williams said. “We are not aware of any other mechanisms, but if it is appropriate to put this on the agenda as a discussion item, we may do so.”
Boroujeni's case divided the Fresno City College community.
Even though the community college district placed Boroujeni on leave and launched an investigation, some faculty and staff expect more from the State Center Teachers' Federation, the union that represents the district, college and faculty.
For example, some professors in the district have called for union leaders to be transparent about the results of a sexual harassment investigation at Fresno State, while others have expected the union to take a stance on the case.
For example, Liz Romero, an early childhood education instructor at Clovis Community College, said the union said in a statement that its responsibility is to “defend the contract” and “defend faculty and staff's due process rights.” “It's disheartening,” he told EdSource. .”
There was heated union debate among the divided faculty.
The union condemned Clovis Community College philosophy instructor Michael Stannard on Dec. 4 for his actions while discussing the Boruyeni case at a Dec. 1 union meeting, according to union representative David Campos. . The district also announced Dec. 15 that it was investigating allegations of “inappropriate behavior” by a number of unnamed employees who allegedly made several female employees feel “uneasy” during a union meeting.
Out of respect for those concerned about his presence, Boruzeni spoke first during the public comment period Wednesday and asked to be escorted off campus by police during a brief recess. The board denied the request, Williams said.
Boruzeni published a blog post on Medium on January 10th focusing on ‘reclaiming my narrative.’ The post, which runs approximately 8,000 words, portrays Boruzeni as a victim of racism and stereotyping, as well as sexual harassment at the hands of the alleged victim. Eastern background.
Some of his colleagues, including communication arts instructor Jerry Thurston, said they believe the alleged victim.
“When women share their experiences, I believe them,” Thurston said.
“I don’t swallow what people say, but when women say someone behaved inappropriately toward them and explain what happened, I believe it happened to them. “I believe my female colleagues when they tell me that someone has abused them.”
EdSource reporter Thomas Peele contributed to this article.