An Unexpected Email
It may seem unwise to send an email mentioning firearms to coworkers at 12:44 a.m. on a Saturday. But that’s exactly what Seattle Central’s Dean of Student Development, Dr. Kunbi Ajiboye, did on Aug. 31. What unfolded after the Dean’s message would not only shape the campus atmosphere for days to come but expose years of underlying issues at the college’s administrative level.
Recipients of the email included President Bradley Lane; Vice President of Student Services Kao LeZheo; Director of Student Support Programs Molly Pettiford; Vice President of Instruction Chantae Recasner; Executive Director of Campus Operations Johnny Woods Jr.; Director of TRiO Dana Parker; and Whatcom Community College’s Director for Student Life and Development Heidi Farani.
The email’s subject line read “I am sorry I am Molly,” referring to Molly Pettiford, Director of Student Support Programs, and included lines such as “I destroyed myself” and “I rescind imediately [sic].” The Dean referred to herself as “Bobo la fool [sic],” “a fraud,” and a “psycho path [sic].” The Dean also stated “With nothing of meaning and I am whose them at the student with the gun.”
“I destroyed myself. I rescind imediately [sic]. … I am a fraud. And my trauma has made me a psycho path [sic]. … I lied and I showed exactly who I am.”
—Dr. Kunbi Ajiboye, in an email sent to Seattle Central’s leadership members
Eight hours later, Vice President of Student Services, Kao LeZheo responded to all the recipients of the original email, communicating that he was working to ensure the well-being of the Dean, instructing them not to respond to the message in order to “…respect Dr. Kunbi’s privacy.” The Vice President made no mention of safety issues on campus. Glaringly absent was any mention of anyone else’s well-being, including Molly Pettiford’s.
The Dean’s email, however, led Central’s Student Leadership, the department overseen by Ajiboye, to overstep LeZheo’s directive and suspend on-campus activity while facilities worked to switch the lock system in their building, located directly across the street from Central’s main hub, Broadway Edison.
The nature of the email, paired with the mention of firearms, led Human Resources to place the Dean on a six-week involuntary leave.
“Kao [LeZheo] made a unilateral decision without ever once actually referring to security,” claims an anonymous Student Support Programs employee, “without ever once checking in with [Pettiford] about how she felt if she felt safe, or even the other employees that work directly under [Ajiboye]. [LeZheo] didn’t do any of those things but made a unilateral decision that not only was there ‘no safety threat,’ but that we were to return to work the following Monday.” LeZheo did not disclose how he came to the conclusion that there was no safety threat.
According to the employee, Central’s Safety and Security department, directed by Sean Chesterfield, “wasn’t even informed” of Ajiboye’s message until “a couple of days after [workers] had gotten back on campus.” They added that it was Molly Pettiford who reached out to Chesterfield to let him know of the allusions to a gun threat in the email, “and that’s how we ended up having the doorbell and the panic button installed in the offices.”
“To just make an assumption that there would be no trauma associated with that, no qualms, no blowback … it’s kind of heartbreaking.”
—Anonymous Central employee
The worker remarked that LeZheo’s response was “a dereliction of duty” and a “serious lack of judgment,” both on professional and personal levels. “The number of people who work in higher-ed [and] have possibly been exposed to those kinds of mass violence events … To just make an assumption that there would be no trauma associated with that, no qualms, no blowback…,” they said, “it’s kind of heartbreaking.”
Pettiford said the email terrified her. “To me, it looked like a setup,” she said, explaining what happened the week prior to the email. “That Tuesday, I had asked HR to intervene because [the Dean’s] behavior was starting to escalate with my staff, and it was becoming bizarre with me,” she continued. A meeting between her, Ajiboye, and Human Resources was held on Tuesday, Aug. 27, and Pettiford remarked that the Dean exhibited behaviors she had “never seen before. According to the Director, Ajiboye was combative with HR, yelling back and forth, “[Ajiboye] told me I needed to comply with whatever she says, and that she can use any of my budgets however she wants as she has ultimate authority … It was out of control,” she said.
Things escalated from there. Within hours, a director from a different department came to Pettiford’s office, “[They] were really disrespectful to me in front of a student and in front of my whole team,” said Pettiford, who then invited the staff member to a private meeting with the intention of resolving the conflict. “That person went off on me, and I said, ‘you’re gonna leave my office, you don’t talk to me like this,’ and they got up, slammed the door in my face,” said the Director, “And I’ll admit, I went out into the hallway and I was like, ‘don’t you ever ever talk to me like that.’”
That director reported Pettiford’s behavior to the Dean, who notified HR, which resulted in HR sending a follow-up email to the Director. “I know that [Ajiboye] went up [to HR] on a Friday and attempted to paint me [in a bad light],” said Pettiford, “So when I saw that email on Saturday, I was like, ‘oh, my suspicion was correct,’” referring to the Dean’s email from Aug. 31.
The Tipping Point
Prior to the actions taken after the Dean’s Aug. 31 email, during an annual staff retreat, on Aug. 19, frontline-staff members of Student Leadership and Student Support Programs expressed their concerns directly to the Dean regarding her conduct. Ajiboye, according to Pettiford and other anonymous witnesses, had an emotional response and left the meeting without proper closure. “It got to where people were saying, ‘no, I’m asking you directly, you know, your behavior is what’s created this’ and that’s when she burst into tears. There was no conclusion … she just left, everyone left.”
“I’m finding out through the grapevine that [the Dean is] trying to fraudulently use my budget to [make purchases] for a completely different office.”
—Anonymous Student Support Programs staff member
There was already tension the day before the retreat. According to Pettiford, “[Dr. Ajiboye] was trying to move money.”
“She purchased a whole bunch of food and gave it to another department. And then we found out at the retreat [that the food was] used at the retreat, which is a misuse of state funds. You can’t buy food just randomly with state funds,” she said, pointing out the Dean attempted to move funds from Central’s Food Pantry budget, a program designed to address student food insecurity. The Dean’s assistant intercepted the request, disclosing it to colleagues, “Then [Ajiboye’s] assistant got in trouble and yelled at for doing that.”
“I’m only left to conclude this is something super serious, but yet they don’t want to tell us what. They’re not allowing us to have the option to make a decision about ‘should we stay?’ ‘Can we stay?’”
—Student Leadership employee, referring to LeZheo and HR’s refusal to
disclose the situation with their team
After the Dean’s abrupt exit from the retreat, staff members found a notebook left behind on a table—the Dean’s personal journal. It revealed Ajiboye’s intent to push out a specific staff member, whose name and role were mentioned in the diary. The Dean indicated that she wanted the employee to either resign or be fired. “I was very mentally drained … I felt unsafe,” says the staff member whose name was noted in the journal. Finding the notebook, however, brought clarity to the employee.
“Honestly, finding the journal helped me to understand why [Ajiboye] acted the way [she did]. It really helped me to realize, ‘oh, she was just intentionally hurting me and [trying to get me] removed.’”
The employee reported that the journal was brought to Vice-President Kao LeZheo, Human Resources, and the Classified Staff Union (WFSE). The latter “wanted to take action,” according to the worker, while HR said they would “deal with it when [Ajiboye] is back [from her administrative leave].” Ultimately, the employee was told they could submit a formal complaint. “But I honestly got tired … [Ajiboye] is gone … I don’t know what I can get from [submitting a formal complaint].” No action has been taken regarding the contents of the journal so far.
“That’s kind of when I knew things were surfacing,” said another staff member at Student Leadership, who requested anonymity. They shared that their first interaction with the Dean, early in the Spring quarter, “wasn’t a very good one.”
“Kunbi [Ajiboye] is actually a victim in this as well. [She] is a symptom of poor leadership from Kao [LeZheo] to begin with.”
—Anonymous Student Support Programs employee
Instead of the professional one-on-one they expected,“[The Dean] asked me about conflict, or tension, which is all hearsay, that I had with another employee.”
“It didn’t concern my role … [it was] office drama.” The worker reported that they questioned Ajiboye’s claims, but the Dean failed to respond. “I began to press, I was like, well, who told you this? … And she wouldn’t disclose it.” Remarking how the encounter impacted their communication style, the staff member said, “Since then … I made sure that I was very careful about what I said, or what I didn’t say.”
A tenuous communication style from leadership seems to be common on campus. Neither Vice President LeZheo nor Human Resources disclosed the details of Ajiboye’s email to Student Leadership workers, who were primarily affected by the Dean’s absence. “My concern is they’re changing all the locks, we have safety protocols [in place], I’ve heard that there was a mention of a gun and mental instability in the email,” said the anonymous employee, who was left to “piece things together” on their own.
“There is a hierarchy of communication,” they explained. “President Lane communicates with Kao [LeZheo], [who] communicates with the Dean. The Dean communicates with the directors,” they said. “But those chains are so skewed, they’re so broken … We had a dean who was lying and just not doing her job communicating,” they added, affirming that “there’s a lot of information that’s just not getting to where it needs to get, [and] probably manipulation of information.”
Communication Breakdown
The Seattle Collegian connected with Director of Marketing & Communications Adam Russel, searching for clarification regarding the college’s communication system, who confirmed that “In general, deans report to vice presidents, and vice presidents report to Dr. Lane.” He added that reporting relationships vary depending on the department, “not all directors have a dean to report to, for example.”
“When there are concerns with any college employee,” said Russel, “the places to go are Human Resources and/or that person’s supervisor.”
However, an employee at Student Support Programs illustrated the issues within this system, saying, “Kao [Lezheo] is relying on the reporting of [Ajiboye] to tell him [that the staff retreat] was a massive failure.” Meanwhile, President Lane relies on LeZheo’s reporting to obtain the information, “which isn’t flowing upwards,” the employee concluded.
“The retreat is one of many things that really just demonstrates how passive leadership is, they’re expecting problems to float upwards … That’s not effective leadership.”
—Anonymous Student Support Programs employee
In a meeting between Student Leadership, Vice President LeZheo, and Human Resources regarding the Dean’s absence, a Student Leadership worker directly asked for details of the circumstances, attempting to understand how to proceed accordingly. “I said, ‘we all know what’s going on, can y’all please give us the details?’ And they said, ‘we’re not going to give you the details,’ so it became a listening circle.”
“I’ve never felt this unsupported by a management structure.”
—Anonymous Student Support Programs employee
“Our manager had to overstep the Vice President’s directive of bringing everybody back to the office,” said the Student Leadership employee, explaining that the Directors of Student Leadership and Student Support Programs countered the VP’s decision to bring workers back to the office.
“When the security and the safety of students and staff is at hand,” they said, “I’m pretty sure that privacy kind of goes out the window. And it’s not like the [Dean’s] email’s private anyways. It’s public, the public can access it. We’re not asking for her medical records,” concluded the employee.
“I don’t know what [President Lane] is hearing and we’re not able to communicate because we’re here at the bottom of the barrel, right?”
—Anonymous Student Leadership employee
Employees Sign Letter of No Confidence
During the Dean’s leave, members of SL and SSP wrote and signed a letter of no confidence in Dr. Kunbi Ajiboye, Vice President Kao LeZheo, and Director of Human Resources, Scott Rixon.
“We, the undersigned, submit this formal letter to express our collective lack of confidence in Kunbi Ajiboye’s leadership and request immediate action,” stated the letter. “Throughout her tenure, Dr. Ajiboye has exhibited behavior that is unprofessional, harmful to the workplace culture, and detrimental to the safety and well-being of her subordinates.”
The letter lists detailed incidents and actions that illustrate why the Dean is “unift to continue in her current role,” including egregious behavior. “Direct subordinates report that Dr. Ajiboye regularly yells at them, slams her office door, and has emotional outbursts.” They also list fiduciary impropriety. “Dr. Ajiboye has not followed the PCard Agreement processes and abused her approving authority to misappropriate funds, including providing unauthorized PCard use to other departments…”
“We, the undersigned, submit this formal letter to express our collective lack of confidence … and request immediate action.”
—Opening line of a formal letter of no confidence written by staff members
“Dr. Ajiboye has made unauthorized purchases for her office… including an under-the-desk treadmill, outside the scope of the PCard Agreement… She has misappropriated funds from subordinate budgets for her own office use… instructing her Executive Assistant to withhold this information from the budget manager.”
The letter also claims the Dean’s hiring followed a flawed candidate search. “During the Dean Search process, Dr. Ajiboye received negative reviews, with feedback indicating she is ill-equipped to work with LGBTQ+ students…”
“Despite interviewing against highly qualified women of color,” the letter reads, “she was selected for her current position, yet has since demonstrated a profound lack of interpersonal, financial, and leadership skills required for this role.”
“[LeZheo’s] lackluster response to calls for help has left the department under-resourced and undervalued, creating a sense of abandonment among staff.”
—Employees of Student Leadership and Student Support Programs, in letter of no confidence
Regarding Vice President LeZheo, the letter says, “Mr. LeZheo has demonstrated a consistent failure to address serious concerns within the department and has, in fact, contributed to a hostile work environment,” highlighting his siloing of departmental work. “…state-directed work central to the mission of the Student Support Program has been placed in other offices, further fragmenting our efforts and creating unnecessary barriers between departments that should be working together.”
The letter also lists the Vice President’s defensive and inappropriate responses. “Mr. LeZheo has taken personal offense, responding in inappropriate and poorly thought-out ways, including suggesting that subordinates show more gratitude,” asserting that he fosters division and misuses the work of Black authors. “Mr. LeZheo has repeatedly colonized and weaponized the work of Black authors to support his decisions and justify actions that contradict the school’s values.”
The document also calls out the Vice President’s protection of egregious behavior and his failed response to a “serious threat of violence.”
“[LeZheo] has shielded [Ajiboye] from accountability, thereby placing his staff in harm’s way …”
—Statement from letter of no confidence signed by Central employees
Ultimately, the letter outlines a series of grievances against LeZheo, emphasizing the damaging impact of his actions on department morale. “Mr. LeZheo has engaged in a campaign of bullying directed at department leader Molly Pettiford, whose leadership has been undermined by his continuous aggression. This behavior has been witnessed by numerous individuals within the department, yet it persists without consequence,” remarks the document, adding that the Vice President has neglected requests for improvements in Student Support Programs while granting resources to other departments, “This lackluster response to calls for help has left the department under-resourced and undervalued, creating a sense of abandonment among staff.”
“Perhaps most troubling,” extends the letter, “is Mr. LeZheo’s continued protection of Kunbi Ajiboye, despite multiple reports of her egregious behavior towards subordinates. Instead of taking steps to address this issue, Mr. LeZheo has shielded her from accountability, thereby placing his staff in harm’s way and allowing her misconduct to continue unchecked.”
“… Rixon’s failure to take action has betrayed these values, both to his profession and to the institution he serves.”
—Statement from letter of no confidence signed by Central employees
The last section of the letter addresses Scott Rixon, Director of Human Resources. “[Rixon’s] actions—or lack thereof—have allowed a toxic and unsafe work environment to persist. … Mr. Rixon has neglected to intervene in any meaningful way, which has severely undermined the well-being of the staff.” The letter lists the ways in which Rixon has failed to meet the expectations of his role, emphasizing his passive responses to “such blatant misconduct” despite “firsthand knowledge of [Ajiboye’s] abusive behavior.”
“Mr. Rixon has attended meetings where the specific harm caused by Dr. Ajiboye’s actions was described in excruciating detail. Employees have spoken openly about feeling unsafe at work … Despite hearing these distressing accounts, Mr. Rixon has failed to initiate any meaningful support for the victims or advocate for the appropriate actions to be taken against Dr. Ajiboye.”
“[Rixon] has undeniably failed in his moral responsibility as an HR professional.”
—Statement from the letter of no confidence signed by Central employees
“By allowing discussions about bringing Dr. Ajiboye back into the workplace despite the known harm she has caused,” the letter continues, “Mr. Rixon has created an environment where employees feel unsafe. … This failure to act on behalf of the staff’s safety is deeply troubling and goes against the very purpose of his role in HR.” The document concludes by pointing out Rixon’s “moral failure to the profession,” stating,
“…[Rixon] has undeniably failed in his moral responsibility as an HR professional. HR is not just about compliance—it is about safeguarding the well-being and safety of employees and upholding the values of fairness, dignity, and respect. Mr. Rixon’s failure to take action has betrayed these values, both to his profession and to the institution he serves.”
Problems in leadership
On Sept. 1, Molly Pettiford sent an email to President Bradley Lane, Vice President Kao LeZheo, Director of Human Resources Scott Rixon, and Director of Safety and Security Sean Chesterfield, where she disclosed her concerns regarding the Dean’s email and the events leading up to it.
“As of this date, I have not been contacted in regard to my safety or well-being… I do not feel safe returning to the office in person.” She added that she had instructed her team to work from home until further notice. “Over the last several weeks, multiple people in Student Support Services have been impacted by both isolated and collective incidents by leadership and other colleagues,” she wrote.
The following day, Vice President Kao LeZheo responded that he had “connected with relevant parties” and that “Given the context I’ve gained, I do not have safety concerns regarding employees on your team or other teams performing work in person.” He explained that his understanding of “the mention of the student with the gun” in Ajiboye’s email was a reference to a recent incident where campus security found a gun in a student’s belongings.
“This was a challenging situation to address, and there was considerable conversation regarding the impact of the choice and reflection on the identities held by that student,” wrote LeZheo, adding, “I do not understand the mention of this to be a threat of any kind and as far as I understand it was a miscommunication.”
“You might be willing to play roulette with my life but I’m not. My life insurance policy won’t even cover my daughter’s basic needs to 18.”
—Molly Pettiford, in a follow-up email to Kao LeZheo.
LeZheo concluded by directing Pettiford and her staff to Sean Chesterfield and his team for support on safety concerns and provided a link to the Washington State Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for counseling resources.
“[LeZheo’s response] was to me a dismiss,” said Pettiford. “I don’t know what student he’s talking about. I don’t know what incident he’s talking about. … All I know is ‘student with a gun,’ and we live in a country where students with guns who have vendettas unfortunately are everywhere.”
“I could accept [Dr. Ajiboye’s] email on some level,” she continued, “and let [the Dean] get connected to the resources and the help away from me, but [LeZheo’s] email being dismissive felt to me like he was going to protect this person and could care less [sic] … It showed no care or compassion.
“Perpetrator becomes victim, orchestrator becomes savior and the institution hides behind pitting women of color against each other. … I wonder if you came up with this design on your own or your coach helped you?”
—Molly Pettiford, in a follow-up email to Kao LeZheo
In the words of Pettiford, LeZheo had exhibited abusive behavior towards her and her team for the last two years. “…He has not supported our area and our needs for fundings…”
“He has a mode of isolating people … As far as I’m concerned, the entirety of Student Services is actually a disaster under his leadership,” declared Director Pettiford.
“When Ricardo [Leyva-Puebla, the former Dean of Student Development] left, he went to two other long-term employees, and he said, ‘please watch over Molly because I can’t protect her anymore.’ So it is known about his behavior,” asserted Pettiford.
“My compassion for [Ajiboye] is that [LeZheo] broke her.”
—Molly Pettiford
The Director shared that she feels compassion for Ajiboye. “…Kao [LeZheo]] purposely chose somebody who wasn’t qualified for the job. She probably wanted to try to do a good job, and [LeZheo] put her in positions that she wasn’t ready for,” said Pettiford, who reported she has shared these thoughts directly with LeZheo. “You also asked her to do things that were inappropriate, and she started carrying it out, and [LeZheo] broke her.”
Pettiford referenced a “bigger systemic issue,” articulating how institutions that claim to be devoted to “addressing institutional racism, harm, and oppression,” oftentimes rely on “hiring people of color to uphold the system,” allowing the issue to continue without accountability. “Some people will be given little glimmers, and peanuts of power waved in front of them as long as they’re upholding the institution … And then what happens if one of us isn’t doing that?… Then you start pitting the people of color against each other because then one person can’t go over here and say ‘this is racism.’”
“I’m being treated terribly as a black woman, right? … what they’ll say is ‘no, but we hired a black woman,’ [Dr. Ajiboye] was black too. They’re not going to hire a white woman or a white man to do what they wanted [Dr. Ajiboye] to do, because then I can make it look like it’s racism. …They just pit us against each other.”
Focusing on the college’s overall goal of supporting students, Pettiford said, “I think we could be serving students in a much better way, and pooling resources and working together collaboratively. …I mean, we have this whole empty third floor down where we work by ourselves. Imagine if we filled that with so many services that students could come to one place and have all the support services and all the connections. But why are, why are we down at a dead end?”
A candidate search under scrutiny
Dr. Kunbi Ajboye was hired as Dean of Student Development in early 2024, replacing former Dean Ricardo Leyva-Puebla, who retired in 2023. “I know firsthand of at least eight people who said, ‘please do not hire this person’ and expressed the harm that [LeZheo] was doing,” said Director Pettiford, who had also applied for the position. “As far as I’m concerned, he hand-picked this person, he on-boarded her. … I can’t help but think he helped her, and then she just wasn’t able, maybe against her own morals and values, she wasn’t able to continue to carry out because she maybe realized she went too far.”
“…Why is there always this exit of employees, this high turnover, what’s going on at Seattle Central? … Is it just Seattle Central or is it the other Seattle Colleges as well?”
—Anonymous Central employee, who’s worked at the institution for over a decade
According to the Director, LeZheo himself was first hired as Interim Vice President. During the candidate search for a permanent VP, the position was offered to two other candidates, who turned it down, leading LeZheo to acquire the permanent position.
“Those two people turned it down, so they offered it to him and hired him a coach. And it’s just gotten worse,” said Pettiford.
“…[LeZheo] is incapable of leadership.”
—Anonymous Student Support Programs employee
This is not the first time something like this has happened. According to an anonymous SL employee, who has been at Central for over a decade, “The hiring process of leadership roles here at Seattle Central is very questionable. This is the second time that they’ve hired a person who is a PhD, [who was] gone in less than a year.”
In the past, the employee explained, while there were other qualified candidates for the role of Director of Student Leadership, Seattle Central chose to hire an individual who, within their first year, received harassment and Title IX complaints, “so that person left within the year.”
“It seems like they’re prioritizing folks with research done and PhD’s versus folks who could potentially be more qualified but don’t have a PhD,” remarked the staff member, adding that candidates who have been involved with the community for decades shouldn’t be brushed aside. “Why are folks like Molly [Pettiford] being overlooked and not hired?”
“There’s a systemic process going on that’s overlooking qualified candidates. And it seems to be perpetuated by some staff more than others.”
—Anonymous Central employee
The employee compared Pettiford to Ajiboye, who both applied for the position of Dean. “I don’t think [Ajiboye] had the same amount of experience in years managing staff and working with students as [Pettiford] does or the other candidates.” Referring to the Student Leadership Director who received harassment and Title IX complaints, the employee said, “They hired someone who had a PhD when there [were] internal candidates who had a ton of experience in working with students and staff.”
“[Ajiboye] is really the biggest example that people have been brought in [to work at Central] inexplicably, and at the expense of people who are already working here.”
—Anonymous Central employee
“All I know is there was this investigation,” the employee explained, “and [the former Director of Student Leadership] had to move his office to the basement of the Mitchell Activity [Center], there had to be the separation of him and an employee until the investigation finished. And by then, I think he quit.”
Another employee of Student Support Programs noted LeZheo’s alleged unwillingness to listen to criticism from his subordinates, referring to the Vice President’s usage of the pronouns “we/us” in his email signature. “On numerous occasions when [LeZheo] was in an interim, when [he] had his hiring panel, I have made it very clear on numerous occasions, ‘you are making an unsafe place for queer and trans students … When you do this, you’re not taking it seriously, you’re using it as an opportunity to show vote,’ and as a cisgender man who’s married to a woman with a child in Capitol Hill, working on campus in the neighborhood, it’s irresponsible, it’s harmful. This has been spelled out to him on numerous occasions, and to this day, he continues to do it.”
“… I’m realizing [that] it’s rotten to the core”
—Anonymous Central employee, on Central’s Leadership
“My experience with Seattle Central is that they are not interested in developing employees by way of any sort of title promotion,” says an anonymous Student Support Programs employee, adding that they’ve worked with colleagues who, despite well over a year of interim service to the college, weren’t offered permanent roles despite position vacancies. The employee exemplified, “A person that I knew who worked in TRiO on an interim basis for a very long time, and ultimately wasn’t offered a role.”
“And as a consequence … I’m not long for here,” they continued. “I’ve loved working at Central, but I am also aware that the level of burnout caused by Leadership has made me more of a liability than an asset to students.”
“… I don’t feel like the energy and efforts that I put into the work are reflected back to me by Leadership.”
—Anonymous Central employee
When asked whether their problems with Central’s leadership were longstanding or recent, the employee said that “this started when Kao [LeZheo] took over the interim role.” The source of the problem, however, comes “from up above [LeZheo] as well.”
“There’s a level of neglect,” they said. “The level of insulation to not be aware that any of this stuff is going on demonstrates a really passive kind of leadership happening on campus.”
“It became quite clear that [LeZheo] was not going to engage with our office… That any suggestions that I had around developing or growing a program designed specifically to address food security with students was just not going to be met with any sort of enthusiasm.” They explained that the neglect towards the program has been ongoing for “a couple of years,” and that “the whole thing with [Ajiboye is] where it has finally reached a breaking point.”
The Sound of Silence
After the multiple accusations made against Vice President LeZheo and Director Rixon, and amidst uncertainty about President Lane’s awareness of the situation, The Seattle Collegian reached out to each individual, attempting to hear their side of the story. Yet, each attempt was unsuccessful.
Despite being informed that The Collegian sought answers to allegations raised regarding his conduct, Scott Rixon responded that he was “not available to hold an interview.” Instead, he referred the inquiry to the college’s Public Information Officer, Adam Russell.
“Unfortunately, I do have to continue to defer your request to Adam Russell, as we do not comment on personnel matters.”
—Scott Rixon, in an email response to The Seattle Collegian interview request
Likewise, President Lane responded that he would be “out at a conference” and referred The Seattle Collegian to Adam Russell “to make sure all of your questions get answered in time for your deadline.”
Vice-President Kao LeZheo never responded to The Seattle Collegian’s request, despite being informed twice that allegations were made against him by employees.
Leadership’s negligence in addressing the matter publicly raises questions about accountability. Student Development, a department dedicated to students’ needs and directly affected by the circumstance, faces a severe lack of structure. As of the week of Oct. 21, employees from both Student Leadership and Student Support Programs now work to rearrange job positions, as certain members have resigned, taken leave, moved campuses, or are preparing to do so in the future.
Though entire departments, employees, and students have shared their concerns, without effective action from leadership, Seattle Central College shall continue to face these already long-standing challenges, hindering its mission of serving students, contradicting its vision of promoting equity and opposing its value of growth of faculty and staff through professional development.
Save Central!