Dive Brief:
- Embattled former Pasadena City College President Mark Rocha will get to keep his $400,000 severance payment, thanks to a settlement between himself and the college.
- The original settlement was voided in April after a local group sued the college for discussing the payment in closed session without noting it on the public agenda.
- Since then, Rocha has apparently threatened additional defamation lawsuits, which prompted the college to come to a new settlement agreement.
Dive Insight:
Rocha was hired to lead Pasadena City College in 2010 and quickly clashed with faculty and the college’s governing board. Upon his resignation, faculty had already made two no-confidence votes and were considering a third. After leaving the college, Rocha sued for defamation based on comments one of the college's trustees made to the media. Since then, he has come up with a number of other grievances. With the latest settlement, PCC may finally be able to walk away from the multi-pronged legal mess.
Overly generous severance packages for college presidents who serve only short tenures have been criticized along with other lush benefits, including in a report by Illinois legislators.