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Community reacts to Board of Trustees after KCKCC President Dr. Doris Givens was placed on leave

Posted at 4:09 PM, Jul 18, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-19 14:41:27-04

We’re still waiting to hear more about why Kansas City, Kansas Community College President Dr. Doris Givens was placed on administrative leave with pay.

The announcement came Friday. At Tuesday’s Board of Trustees meeting, several people spoke, revealing mixed emotions and questions from the community.

“Please tell me, the community, what the alleged wrong is that Dr. Givens has done,” said one woman.

“Today, applaud the board for the action taken this past week,” said Duane Shaw. He said he was a long-time employee of the college who was let go a few years ago.

“It seems like in the last few years, the administration has not been very close to our faculty, our staff,” he said.

Members of the audience clapped when the Student Senate President shared his disappointment with what he saw on social media. Gary Enrique Bradley-Lopez said he saw faculty members posting about celebrating the news.

“That shows no morals for our community college and it is a lack of leadership,” he said.

“We have not had the opportunity to hear from Dr. Givens, to hear her side and to respond to the allegations that have been made against her,” said Wendell Maddox. The member of the KCKCC Board of Trustees said he voted against placing Givens on leave last week. He said the chairman of the board, J.D. Rios, started an investigation without the full permission of the board.

Rios told 41 Action News he disagreed with Maddox and could not confirm if there is an investigation or the reason Givens was placed on administrative leave.

“If there is something that can be shared, it will be shared, but at this time, there just isn’t as we are looking to protect everyone’s rights,” he said.

Hired in 2011, Givens was the first woman and first African-American to be president of KCKCC.

The Board of Trustees plans to have a special session Wednesday. Rios said additional information may be released to the public after that session.

KCKCC Board of Trustees appointed Jacqueline Vietti as acting president on Wednesday. She previously served as president of Butler Community College for 17 years and as interim president of Emporia State University for six months. 

Editor's note: A previous version of this story said Dr. Doris Givens was placed on administrative leave without pay. She was placed on administrative leave with pay.