Context on Resolution of Fmr Chancellor’s Financial Misconduct

Yesterday, you received an email from the District regarding the resolution of former Chancellor David Martin’s financial misconduct.

In fall 2023, Martin inserted a fabricated document into a 2020 financial report in order to create the impression that his excessive, voluntary transfers out of the college’s General Fund into its Retiree Health Care Trust Fund were rooted in long-standing college policy. They were not.

Martin distorted CCSF’s finances to create the appearance of financial necessity for layoffs and class cuts that have locked thousands of students out of foundational classes leading to degrees and certificates in professions such as Nursing, Firefighting, & Cybersecurity. Martin presented his false information publicly to our Board of Trustees, to AFT in the midst of contract negotiations, and, most disturbingly, to the ACCJC as part of the college’s accreditation process, which happens every eight years and is essential to our mission, students, and community.

AFT 2121 filed in fall 2023 an Unfair Labor Practice, or ‘ULP,’ alleging the District knowingly provided false information to our faculty union, a violation of California labor law (also, an act of management fraud). The District responded by hiring outside attorneys to challenge AFT’s claim. The two key questions underlying the dispute:

1. Was Martin’s 2023 financial report part of the written record from 2020 as he claimed?

2. Did the Board in 2020 develop a ‘2046 plan’ with a specific schedule of annual payments to be made to ensure the Retiree Health Care Trust Fund was fully funded by 2046 ?

Last August, California’s public sector labor courts, the Public Employment Relations Board, issued a complaint (see AFT’s FAQ on it here), indicating that on the face of it, the answer to both of these questions was no. In its email yesterday, the District finally acknowledged that the answer to both questions above is no.

While the agreement AFT reached with the District makes no acknowledgement of wrongdoing, the implication is clear: former Chancellor and Certified Public Accountant, David Martin, presented knowingly false financial records to AFT as well as our Board and the ACCJC. AFT chose to settle rather than bring this case to a formal PERB Hearing because doing so would have meant spending tens of thousands of member dollars on an issue for which there is no longer a financial remedy available.

The District has acknowledged the truth, and it is time now to move forward: to repair the enrollment damage caused by Martin’s misguided layoffs in key areas such as English and Chemistry, and to choose a new Chancellor with the integrity, follow through, and vision needed to make CCSF thrive.

As you participate in Chancellor forums this week, ask yourself: has this person led a large, urban, and diverse district such as ours? Does this candidate have a track record of collaborating with students, employee groups, and community members to proactively solve problems? Because that is the kind of leader our college needs, and that our students deserve.