Friday, August 31, 2012

NWACC's Fired CFO, Parsons, Denied Appeal

So now, Marty Parsons is left with one option and that is to sue.  Arkansas tax payers will be paying for that.

NWACC board won't hear Parsons appeal

By Teresa Moss 

Posted: August 31, 2012 at 9:12 a.m.
A termination appeal request for Marty Parsons was denied by the NorthWest Arkansas Community College Board of Trustees on Friday.

Parsons, former senior vice president for administrative services and chief financial officer at the college, was fired by Becky Paneitz, president, Aug. 1.
“His next option will be to file a lawsuit,” Brandon Cate, Parsons’ lawyer, said following the hearing. “We disagree and we are disappointed with the decision. We feel that Mr. Parsons was entitled to an appeal by the board.”
Trustees voted 2-6 against the motion to give Parsons an appeal. Johnny Haney and Mike Shupe voted in favor. Alex Vasquez, Joe Spivey, Randy Lawson, Mark Lundy, Joan Clifford and Ric Clifford voted against. Hadley Hindmarsh was absent. She previously stated that she had a flight scheduled prior to learning of the meeting.
Trustees heard from Cate along with Marshall Ney, the college’s attorney, prior to deciding on the motion.
“My recommendation is that the request for an appeal be denied,” Ney said. “Any appeal to the board of trustees must contain specific evidence, not just opinion.”
Ney said Parsons and his attorney failed to provide evidence proving that Paneitz had a conflict of interest when firing Parsons.
College policy states the board will only hear termination appeals if the college president has a conflict of interest when firing an employee. It goes on to state that evidence must be provided.
 

Comments

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This is a sad day in NWA... Thank you for reporting the way the board voted and congrats to Mike Shupe and Johnny Haney for standing up to this president - the ONLY 2 that will get my support. The rest of you are sad little followers and should follow your Queen Becky right out the door. I'm sure this is far from over, and the evidence will find its way out, but in the mean time we've lost a valuable leader at NWACC who, unlike the majority of the Board, didn't cower to the almighty dictator's manipulative orders. For the next CFO we pay to ship in : Please be aware that your job is really only to enhance this presidents legacy, at whatever cost to the tax payers.
Posted by: MrLowell
August 31, 2012 at 10:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
And, yet again, the majority of the Board did not serve taxpayers' - and ultimately the students' - interest. Thank you to Mr. Shupe and Mr. Haney for standing up for what is right. Not sure what "evidence" Ney is calling for (isn't he the college attorney - not the BofT attorney?!?) since it is a complete conflict of interest that he was even in the room for this meeting and all points were outlined in Cate's letter(s). 
NWACC has created their own public relations nightmare with this situation. Parents should seriously consider sending their children into an environment with such corrupt leadership.
Posted by: SeriouslyOutraged
August 31, 2012 at 10:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
There have been several CFO's terminated within the last few years. As a total outsider who knows nothing of the situation, this seems very strange. Perhaps there is some type of coverup for fiscal wrongdoing. And as soon as the CFO gets a little suspicious, he gets terminated?
Posted by: Vickie55
August 31, 2012 at 12:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Disappointing. And for those board members that fell for the tag team legalese bullying by your chair and the president/board/college attorney, shame on you. You've lost this taxpayers respect. And the community college has lost a student.
Posted by: becauseicare
August 31, 2012 at 2:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
I personally do not know any of the people involved in this situation, but the more I read the more I think there is a tremendous need for transparency here. Hopefully an in-depth investigation into what is really going on, and what has led to all the furor.
Posted by: Dellmann
August 31, 2012 at 2:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Now we know how people blunder and fail their way up the ladder: due to the unwavering support of unethical, unconscionable people like themselves.  Shame on the 6 members of the BoT who allowed themselves to get sucked into Paneitz's corruption and refused Parsons the right to an appeal.
People... compare the memo to the appeal letter.  THAT doesn't give the Board enough pause to grant an appeal?  Seriously?  The meeting was manipulated from start to finish.  When board members attempted to speak to discuss options, they were immediately silenced by the board chair.  This is ridiculous!
Keep fighting Mr. Parsons, this community supports YOU.
Posted by: NwaccFail
August 31, 2012 at 3:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
From Citywire: "Ney said the board could change its policy but he advised the trustees to keep consistent with the existing policy as it is stated until it can be changed in a proper venue."
Ney represents the college, the president AND the board of trustees. Now that, my friends, is evidence of conflict of interest. Talk about financial advantage. The case continues, cha-ching for Ney. Is the board really this manipulable?
From Citywire: "When he served on the Bentonville School Board, conflict of interest was defined when someone makes a decision that gives them a personal financial advantage, or if that person assists a relative in gaining an inappropriate advantage."
Parsons appeared to be challenging college spending and bringing to light past indiscretions on fines/penalties (aka doing his job). How is that not a financial concern of the president? Terminating Parsons eliminated a barrier of scrutiny on her well-known spending habits. Sounds like textbook 'personal financial advantage' to this resident.
Posted by: jddendinger
August 31, 2012 at 4:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

2 comments:

  1. This is what happened to me, too. NWACC denied me my appeal. I was a student in the respiratory therapy department and was bullied and harrassed by faculty and Mary Ross covered for them. They made me look like someone I wasn't. It was so awful that it took me a long time to recover and I still suffer from PTSD. Horrible people.

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  2. This is how NWACC handles each victim's appeals and grievances. NWACC CEOs have their minds made up to fire, or expel, before listening to the stories of the aggrieved. NWACC never address grievances. They simply retaliate when their victims stand up for themselves and attempt to present their side of the story. Of all the cases I've read, each and every case is handled very similarly to Marty Parsons'.

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