MEDIA ADVISORY
For immediate release: Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014
Contact: Fred Glass, 510-579-3343
Li Lovett, 415-370-5279

ACCJC using delay tactics in advance of trial

San Francisco – Unsuccessful in previous attempts to block San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera’s lawsuit, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) has brought forth another motion in its misguided attempts to terminate City College of San Francisco’s accreditation.

“After arguing that this case did not even belong in California State Court because the issues were federal and not state issues, ACCJC now argues that the City Attorney should really be suing California, not them,” said Tim Killikelly, AFT 2121 President and City College instructor. “It is just one more example of their delay tactics.” 

The City Attorney filed suit last year to reverse the commission’s inappropriate and illegal sanctions against City College of San Francisco (CCSF) and to keep the college open for its 80,000 students. On September 19th, Judge Curtis Karnow threw out the argument of ACCJC’s attorneys that the private commission is not subject to the state’s Unfair Competition Law.

“Lack of accountability has been a consistent theme in this accrediting commission’s conduct, whether it has involved City College, or the legislature, or the law itself,” said Herrera. “Judge Karnow has issued a wise and extremely thorough ruling on the applicability of state law to unfair and unlawful practices.”

The impact of disaccreditation would be disastrous for City College and its students. Already, the college has seen an enrollment decline of nearly 25% since the 2012 Show Cause sanction. The quality of education at City College was never called into question.

WHAT: Hearing of Defendant’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings
WHEN: 9:00 am, October 7, 2014
WHERE: S.F. Superior Court, 400 McAllister St., Department 304, San Francisco, 94102

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AFT 2121 represents faculty, librarians, counselors and other certificated employees of City College of San Francisco. The CFT represents over 25,000 faculty in thirty community college districts, and 120,000 educational employees at every level of the education system, from Head Start to UC. More info: www.cft.org