Feb 21, 2020

Kansas community college votes to censure board member

Posted Feb 21, 2020 8:30 PM
Angeliina Lawson photo courtesy JCCC Board of Trustees
Angeliina Lawson photo courtesy JCCC Board of Trustees

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The largest community college in Kansas has voted to censure a member, saying she spread damaging, false accusations about the college.

The Johnson County Community College Board of Trustees took the action Thursday after Angeliina Lawson secretly emailed a few state lawmakers in the fall, questioning how the college manages it assets. She also said in the email that the board lacked strong oversight.

The email was eventually passed on to college officials across the state, and then to JCCC board members, who have said Lawson’s comments were filled with inaccuracies and misrepresented the college.

The board in December voted to start a fact-finding process to investigate Lawson’s actions. The fact-finder also disputed nearly every allegation in Lawson’s email, finding the majority of statements to be misinterpretations or “flatly wrong.”

Lawson has called the process a “witch hunt,” arguing she is being penalized for asking questions and passing along constituents’ concerns. She said the main issue she is trying to address is the college board’s lack of transparency.