Accusations Leveled Against Citrus College Trustee Ed Ortell

Months before the November elections, part-time faculty members are leveling accusations of nepotism against Citrus College Trustee Ed Ortell.

Linda Chan, representative for the Citrus College Adjunct Faculty Federation, spoke during the public comments of Tuesday’s Board of Trustees meeting, charging Ortell, who represents Duarte and portions of Azusa, Monrovia, Arcadia, Irwindale and Covina, of influencing the hiring process to secure positions for members of his family at the college.

Chan said Ortell used his status to help his daughter, son-in-law and a friend obtain jobs, while also abusing IT privileges. Chan also claims that Ortell voted in favor of lifetime health benefits for board members in 1998.

According to a story in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the accusations came as the board considered a nepotism policy for the college, allowing the school to refuse an appointment of a person to positions in the same department or facility as a relative. The motion passed 3-2, with Ortell and Trustee Gary Woods dissenting.

Woods, who is often in the minority vote with Ortell on the Citrus board, has also faced critical accusations from Citrus faculty.

In March, Citrus College Faculty Association President John Fincher pushed the board to investigate allegations that Woods did not reside in the district he was elected to represent, violating terms of office. The board has established an advisory board to investigate the situation.

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