Citrus College Trustees Vote to Continue to Investigate Allegations Against Gary Woods

The Citrus College Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to extend the investigation into residency violation allegations against Trustee Gary Woods.

An ad hoc advisory committee –  comprised of Board President Susan Keith and Vice President Patricia Rasmussen – was formed as an inquiry into claims from the Citrus College Faculty Association that Woods does not live in the district area he represents, violating terms of an elected office.

Woods, who represents Area 1 covering Azusa and portions of Duarte, objected to the formation of the ad hoc committee, along with Trustee Ed Ortell during the May 7 meeting. The committee was to expire July 30, but the board voted to extend the committee during Tuesday’s meeting.

Keith said that the ad hoc committee’s extension was necessary to complete the fact-gathering and analysis to finish the report.

Citrus College Faculty Association President John Fincher alleged in March that Woods resided in a home in Sierra Madre rather than the one-bedroom apartment in Azusa he lists as his official place of residence.  A website Fincher represents, firegarywoods.com, claims to contain photos and video evidence that Woods’ primary residence is in Sierra Madre.

Kaufman Legal Group, the legal team Woods hired to advise him during the investigation, recommended Tuesday that the board proceed with a quo warranto rather than an extension of the ad hoc committee.  George Yin, a Kaufman representative, told the board a quo warranto would allow the attorney general to make an independent decision on the case and would be a more transparent process rather than an ad hoc committee comprising of board members.

“Given the lack of transparency and lack of any articulated legal framework for this process, we find it necessary to express our strong objections to the process, and to urge the District to refrain from engaging in a ‘witch hunt’ that threatens to damage the District’s reputation,” Woods’ legal advisor Stephen J. Kaufman wrote in a letter to Board President Susan Keith.

Woods responded to the allegations during Tuesday’s meeting, primarily on nepotism claims against Ortell and remarks against both Woods and Ortell that they were not “faculty-friendly.”

“I take great offense to this comment,” Woods said in a statement read during Tuesday’s meeting. He pointed to his 45 years as a faculty member and his awards for service to education as a testimony to his commitment to faculty members.

Woods said in March that he believed the residency allegations against him were efforts to derail his campaign for reelection to the board in November.

The board voted 3-2 to extend the committee’s expiration date to Sept. 30, with Woods and Ortell dissenting.