The Board of Trustees voted to terminate PCC police chief Don Yoder “with cause” Monday night, after Yoder had been on paid administrative leave since July.
Details as to why Yoder was fired have yet to be released.
“The reasons for the decision are confidential,” Board President Anthony Fellow wrote in an email Tuesday. “The District respects the right of privacy of its employees and former employees and will not comment further on this matter.”
The Board’s vote was 4-2, with Trustees Linda Wah and John Martin voting against firing Yoder. Both Trustees declined to comment citing Board policy. Wah said that the Board had been “asked to respect Yoder’s privacy.”
Yoder did not return calls requesting comment on this story.
Steven Matchan will remain acting director of Police and Safety Services in the interim until a replacement can be found, according to officials.
“I just want to serve the district, staff, students, guests, and community in any capacity,” Matchan said when asked if he would like to be considered for the position.
Academic Senate President Eduardo Cairo praised Yoder for his time at PCC, saying that his dealings with him had always been good.
“I found him to be professional and honest and an individual with integrity,” Cairo said. “We were in the process of working together to have faculty and the police department work together for emergency training.”
When Yoder was put on leave in July, PCC’s General Counsel Gail Cooper said that the school couldn’t comment.
“Other than confirming that Chief Yoder is on paid administrative leave, I cannot comment on personnel matters,” said Gail Cooper, PCC General Counsel. “We must respect the laws that provide for confidentiality and privacy of such matters.”
Yoder is the fourth police chief that PCC has had since 2011. He replaced Stanton Perez as Chief of Police in January 2013 after Perez resigned due to issues about the eligibility of his pension from his former job with the California Highway Patrol.
Before that, Frank Scialdone served as interim chief while the school searched for a new chief after Peter Michaels mysteriously went on leave and then retired.
Associated Students President Jordyn Orozco said that the Board had to look more closely at candidates for certain positions moving forward.
“I think the school is so used to rushing someone into the position,” Orozco said. “We have some really good people who can hold the fort down, while we prolong the hiring and screening process.”
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Let’s not forget ALL the officers that have been fired over the last few years, Hernandez, Ito, karch, orozco, gump. Brad young mysteriously disappeared as well. Steven matchan as chief of the pd will just ruin what’s left of the department. Wasn’t he the officer who would roll up on female cadets in the patrol car and grope them? He would also make racist remarks against middle eastern cadets.
This place is not a police department. It is about time this place is cleaned out and taken care of by a company or pasadena pd. PCC should rid itself with an organization full of corruption, sexual misconduct amongst officers and dispatchers and officers and cadets (I have text messages). And all while making over 100k??? The money can be best served in the classroom and amongst the teachers who are actually influential rather than detrimental to the school community. My good friend (cadet) who worked at the department was fired by Matchan and ex chief Donald Yoder for having on duty sex with an officer who was also on duty. The officer was not fired yet she was. This place needs an overhaul. I can’t believe it is accredited. Or is it?
Matchan as a police chief? Wow this place is bad. Time to disband this joke organization.
He was indicted for falsifying timecards.
What’s funny is Leilani Roberts was in charge of time cards when I was there. Time cards were done by her. Overtime was handed out for almost any detail the officers would work whether the flea market or “training”
Thank God. To a man who preached integrity and doing the right thing. The scandal of the Sheriff’s Department finally catching up to you. Any what about Sgt. Abernathie aka Beefy you brought into PCC who left the Sheriffs Department when everything came out. Did he go through the normal channels of the hiring process. You are a joke, a fraud, and karma caught up with you. Your legacy at PCC is laughable just like your career in Victorville.
Is Yoder another manager that refused to sleep with Cooper and so, lost his job? We need to know why he is no longer with us. Yoder was good to our staff and our students. Time to put Cooper on leave. Cooper seems to be at the root of all PCC problems.
Critical thinker,
You’re an asshole. I am an attorney and know Gail Cooper very well. She is the most professional respectable person anyone could ever meet. I am going to make it my mission to find out who you are, and when I do, I am going to sue your ass and see you bankrupt.
I’m sure Gail was very professional to Dr. Ben Lastimado, that’s why he fled to Washington.