imperial.edu

A new report by the California State Auditor’s office on violations of the federal Clery Act, an crime disclosure law, has singled out the Imperial Valley Community College District for failing to fully report an unspecified hate crime allegedly committed at the district’s Imperial Valley College.

I.V. haters

A new report by the California State Auditor’s office on violations of the federal Clery Act, an crime disclosure law, has singled out the Imperial Valley Community College District for failing to fully report an unspecified hate crime allegedly committed at the district’s Imperial Valley College. “Imperial Valley improperly determined that it should not report an intimidation hate crime because the case was under investigation by local law enforcement,” says the July 30 audit report. “However, law enforcement had not determined that this case was unfounded; therefore, it was inappropriate for Imperial Valley to omit this reported crime from its statistics.”

The school’s website portrays Imperial as “an inclusive and supportive learning environment where all students can thrive, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” and claims the college has made it standard policy to “collect and verify reports of bullying, harassment, or intimidation based on real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Darrell Issa wants his advisor to be U.N.-informed.

But auditors reported they found otherwise regarding the Clery Act, which mandates annual disclosure of a range of criminal activity at academic institutions. “Imperial Valley’s associate vice president of human resources said she believes that management turnover is the primary cause of Imperial Valley’s difficulties complying with the Clery Act, because that turnover has led to a loss of institutional knowledge, disruption in trainings, and delays in policy updates. She also explained that prior to our audit, she was not familiar with all Clery Act requirements.”

Adds the report: “According to Imperial Valley’s vice president of administrative services, the institution identified the need for a campus safety plan in April 2023. It subsequently developed a plan, but finalization and approval of the plan has been delayed because of a vacancy in the campus safety manager position since December 2023.”

Imperial was one of six California academic institutions included in the latest audit. All schools failed their examinations, at least in part, the report says. “This audit focused on six institutions, some public and some private, from across the State: California State University, Chico; Imperial Valley College; Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles; Orange Coast College; University of San Diego; and University of California, Santa Cruz.

“We based our selection on a number of factors, including the number of crimes each institution reported to the U.S. Department of Education, the institution’s geographic location, the type of institution, and whether we had previously audited the institution.” The University of San Diego came in for criticism that it was over-reporting crime at the school. “These reporting errors can mislead interested parties, such as prospective students, about campus safety. San Diego’s Clery Act compliance manager said she strongly believes that additional specialized Clery‐specific training would be useful for staff campus wide, particularly for staff involved in preparing crime reports and serving on the institution’s Clery committee. The compliance manager indicated that she shares some training opportunities, such as webinars, with other Clery committee members and relevant campus partners, but the university does not require its staff to take any specific Clery Act training.”

Junketing oversight 

A top staffer to House Republican Darrell Issa, who last year helped United Nations critic Donald Trump clear the path to renomination at the GOP convention in 2024, spent part of his D.C. summer break on a gratis trip with other congressional staffers to New York City, courtesy of the non-profit United Nations Foundation.

“The trip will provide Mark Erste [Jr.] foreign policy advisor to Congressman Issa, the opportunity to discuss the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges with representatives from major U.N. organizations, learn about their programing, and conduct oversight over the use of U.S. taxpayer dollars by these organizations,” says an August 6 disclosure of Erste’s two-day overnight trip, beginning July 25.

Events attended, according to the document, included “Meetings with U.N. officials to better understand the U.N., Tours of the U.N., and meeting with U.S. diplomatic representatives to the U.N.” Erste’s transportation expenses amounted to $537, with lodging at the Westin Grand Central billed at $225, and total meals at $213.46.

Per the trip disclosure report, “The U.N. Foundation (UNF) works to educate all Americans, including the U.S. Congress, on the importance of a strong U.S.-U.N. relationship. Over the course of this trip, the delegation will meet with several high-level U.N. and U.S. officials, offering congressional staff an opportunity to learn about multilateral efforts to respond to a number of political, economic, and humanitarian crises. UNF is the primary sponsor of this trip and is organizing all aspects of the program and logistics. UNF handles all outreach to congressional offices and is the contact for planning purposes.”

Influence Watch, a conservative website, says the group is “a private charitable nonprofit organization that supports the initiatives and advocacy of the United Nations. CNN founder and environmentalist activist Ted Turner created the Foundation in 1997 with a ten-year, $1 billion pledge.” Most of the cash since then has come from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, per Influence Watch.

“Between 2020 and 2022, the United Nations Foundation donated roughly $5.4 million in grants to 12 state government offices, listed as ‘U.N. strengthening,’ as part of its ‘U.S. Climate Alliance’ initiative to coordinate environmental policies with Democrat-led states,” says the website. “According to Fox News, the initiative was started following then-President Donald Trump withdrawing the United States from the U.N. Paris Climate Accords in 2017.”

Government-related bodies

After more than a year of slash-and-burn job cuts by vulture investor firm Alden Global Capital and its Media News Group, the firm is advertising for new reporters at two of its San Diego papers, acquired last year from Los Angeles billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong. “The La Jolla Light, a weekly Union-Tribune Community Press publication, has an opening for a full-time reporter,” says last week’s job notice. “We are looking for a journalist who will immerse themselves in coverage of community news, including government-related bodies, schools, sports, businesses, local personalities, entertainment, real estate, health and science. The hourly wage is $21.63. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, time in role, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, Media News Group offers a comprehensive benefits package, and 401K plan (all benefits are based on eligibility).”

Would Patrick Soon-Shiong recognize his old paper?

Meanwhile, over at the Union-Tribune, once the flagship of the now defunct Copley chain, “a reporter to cover the East County, including the communities of Santee, La Mesa, El Cajon and Lemon Grove and the more rural areas of the region,” is wanted. “We are looking for a versatile journalist who will immerse themselves in city government and become well-versed in the issues important to each city and the region at large. The successful candidate must be able to juggle aggressive beat work and breaking news while occasionally bringing an enterprise approach to the beat, focusing on deeply reported, high-impact journalism. The hourly wage is $26.44-$28.85.”

— Matt Potter

(@sdmattpotter)

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