Changes

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In October 2014, Maldonado took nearly two weeks of leave time while the trustee campaign was underway, in his words, "to reinstate a sense of professional decorum and integrity to our beloved LCC and its governing board."<ref name=trusteeelections>{{cite web|url=http://www.lmtonline.com/front-news/article_6451267b-8dfe-5a48-9168-74c327fbc435.html|author=Judith Rayo|title=Un-presidential?: Maldonado on vacation|publisher='''The Laredo Morning Times ''|date=October 29, 2014|pages=1, 14A|accessdate=September 14, 2015}}</ref> He affirmed that his leave time was not directly related to the trustee election campaign. Because of his political involvement, a letter writer to 'The Laredo Morning Times'' called for Maldonado to step down immediately.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lmtonline.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_204c73c0-54b2-5993-b825-939fee91d29a.html|author=Rudy Ramirez|title=Junior [Community] college president should retire [because of] events that have taken place|publisher=''The Laredo Morning Times'' |date=December 31, 2014|page=4A|accessdate=September 14, 2015}}</ref><ref>Intelius.com lists fourteen people named "Rudy Ramirez" in Laredo, Texas; the "Letter to the Editor" gives no middle name or address by which he could have been identified.</ref>​

In October 2014, Maldonado took nearly two weeks of leave time while the trustee campaign was underway, in his words, "to reinstate a sense of professional decorum and integrity to our beloved LCC and its governing board."<ref name=trusteeelections>{{cite web|url=http://www.lmtonline.com/front-news/article_6451267b-8dfe-5a48-9168-74c327fbc435.html|author=Judith Rayo|title=Un-presidential?: Maldonado on vacation|publisher='''The Laredo Morning Times ''|date=October 29, 2014|pages=1, 14A|accessdate=September 14, 2015}}</ref> He affirmed that his leave time was not directly related to the trustee election campaign. Because of his political involvement, a letter writer to 'The Laredo Morning Times'' called for Maldonado to step down immediately.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lmtonline.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_204c73c0-54b2-5993-b825-939fee91d29a.html|author=Rudy Ramirez|title=Junior [Community] college president should retire [because of] events that have taken place|publisher=''The Laredo Morning Times'' |date=December 31, 2014|page=4A|accessdate=September 14, 2015}}</ref><ref>Intelius.com lists fourteen people named "Rudy Ramirez" in Laredo, Texas; the "Letter to the Editor" gives no middle name or address by which he could have been identified.</ref>​

 

''The Laredo Morning Times'' questioned Maldonado's politicking in trustee elections; its education reporter, Judith Rayo, suggested that he could have been "walking on thin ice" legally in support of the three favored candidates, noting that in 1992 the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in [[New Orleans]] upheld the firing of a school superintendent for similar "electioneering".<ref name=terminationquestioned>{{cite web|url=http://www.lmtonline.com/front-news/article_01df3bdb-2b8d-5185-ba11-a95382c0d4fd.html|title=Cause for termination? Maldonado's job at risk for supporting candidates|publisher=''The Laredo Morning Times'' |author=Judith Rayo|date=November 2, 2014|page=1|accessdate=September 9, 2015}}</ref>​

''The Laredo Morning Times'' questioned Maldonado's politicking in trustee elections; its education reporter, Judith Rayo, suggested that he could have been "walking on thin ice" legally in support of the three favored candidates, noting that in 1992 the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in [[New Orleans]] upheld the firing of a school superintendent for similar "electioneering".<ref name=terminationquestioned>{{cite web|url=http://www.lmtonline.com/front-news/article_01df3bdb-2b8d-5185-ba11-a95382c0d4fd.html|title=Cause for termination? Maldonado's job at risk for supporting candidates|publisher=''The Laredo Morning Times'' |author=Judith Rayo|date=November 2, 2014|page=1|accessdate=September 9, 2015}}</ref>​

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In January 2015, Maldonado suspended with pay LCC chief financial officer Nora Stewart, another member of his management team<ref name=managementteam>{{cite web|url=http://www.laredo.edu/cms/LCC/About_LCC/President/President_s_Management_Team/|title=President's Management Team|publisher=Laredo Community College|accessdate=October 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>Other Maldonado management team members were Vincent R. Solis, vice president for instruction and student services; Luciano Ramon, information technology officer, and Nora Ramirez Garza, a former reading instructor and the vice president for resource development in charge of grantsmanship. Maldonado claimed that Stewart misused her staff to obtain an undisclosed college document that Maldonado considered to be "confidential." Her attorney, George Altgelt, subsequently elected to one of the eight seats on the Laredo City Council, said that Stewart had been "retaliated against for doing exactly what her job requires her to do."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lmtonline.com/news/local/article_636bb18a-c409-11e4-967d-2b9ae8830e4e.html|title=Complaint discussed at meeting: CFO Nora Stewart waits for resolution after suspension|work=Laredo Morning Times|date=March 6, 2015|author=Judith Rayo|page=1|accessdate=August 27, 2015}}</ref> Stewart claims that Maldonado belittled her as "Miss Righteous" and then said in question form, "You are now the "auditor?", rather than the title of chief financial officer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lmtonline.com/news/local/article_7cd482ca-e441-11e4-914b-5fa71efcfb00.html|title=Retaliation claim: Trustees to discuss grievance against Maldonado|publisher=''The Laredo Morning Times''|author=Judith Rayo|date=April 16, 2015|pages=1, 9A|accessdate=August 27, 2015}}</ref>​

In January 2015, Maldonado suspended with pay LCC chief financial officer Nora Stewart, another member of his management team<ref name=managementteam>{{cite web|url=http://www.laredo.edu/cms/LCC/About_LCC/President/President_s_Management_Team/|title=President's Management Team|publisher=Laredo Community College|accessdate=October 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>Other Maldonado management team members were Vincent R. Solis, vice president for instruction and student services; Luciano Ramon, information technology officer, and Nora Ramirez Garza, a former reading instructor and the vice president for resource development in charge of grantsmanship. Maldonado claimed that Stewart misused her staff to obtain an undisclosed college document that Maldonado considered to be "confidential." Her attorney, George Altgelt, subsequently elected to one of the eight seats on the Laredo City Council, said that Stewart had been "retaliated against for doing exactly what her job requires her to do."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lmtonline.com/news/local/article_636bb18a-c409-11e4-967d-2b9ae8830e4e.html|title=Complaint discussed at meeting: CFO Nora Stewart waits for resolution after suspension|work=Laredo Morning Times|date=March 6, 2015|author=Judith Rayo|page=1|accessdate=August 27, 2015}}</ref> Stewart claims that Maldonado belittled her as "Miss Righteous" and then said in question form, "You are now the "auditor?", rather than the title of chief financial officer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lmtonline.com/news/local/article_7cd482ca-e441-11e4-914b-5fa71efcfb00.html|title=Retaliation claim: Trustees to discuss grievance against Maldonado|publisher=''The Laredo Morning Times''|author=Judith Rayo|date=April 16, 2015|pages=1, 9A|accessdate=August 27, 2015}}</ref>​

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Without revealing details of the investigation conducted into the Stewart matter by a [[McAllen, Texas|McAllen]] firm, Anderson and Walsh, the trustees on May 18, 2015, directed the administration and its attorney to prepare an "amicable agreement" for Stewart's separation from the college. Stewart joined the LCC staff in 2002; she was previously the asset management officer.<ref>Judith Rayo, "Financial officer may be on way out," ''The Laredo Morning Times,'' May 19, 2015, pp. 1, 12A.</ref>​

Without revealing details of the investigation conducted into the Stewart matter by a [[McAllen, Texas|McAllen]] firm, Anderson and Walsh, the trustees on May 18, 2015, directed the administration and its attorney to prepare an "amicable agreement" for Stewart's separation from the college. Stewart joined the LCC staff in 2002; she was previously the asset management officer.<ref>Judith Rayo, "Financial officer may be on way out," ''The Laredo Morning Times,'' May 19, 2015, pp. 1, 12A.</ref>

 

However, the trustees reversed course and voted 5-3 to renew Stewart's contract for another year. Altgelt had threatened to sue the members individually had they not done so.<ref name=contractsresolved>{{cite web|url=http://www.lmtonline.com/news/local/article_d9d1ce78-20e7-11e5-984f-0bb462bc7f02.html|title=CFO stays, chief expires: President's contract will not be extended|publisher='''The Laredo Morning Times ''|date=July 2, 2015|pages=1, 12A|author=Judith Rayo|accessdate=September 8, 2015}}</ref> Stewart had also clashed with preceding President Ramón Dovalina, whom she accused, along with the then the retiring chief financial officer Daniel J. "Dan" Flores, Jr. (1938-2016),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lmtonline.com/obituaries/article_a73b952a-0e30-11e6-aeef-334b6b1efc9a.html|title=Daniel Flores, Jr.|work=Laredo Morning Times|date=April 29, 2016|accessdate=August 1, 2016}}</ref> of "retaliation, verbal abuse, harassment, mental anguish, creation of a hostile work environment, and excessive stress and harm to her professional reputation."<ref name=auditorscomplaint/> Dovalina announced his pending departure within a month of the raising of Stewart's allegations.<ref name=auditorscomplaint>Tricia Cortez, "LCC feud: Auditor's complaint against President, CFO alleges retaliation, harassment," ''The Laredo Morning Times,'' February 23, 2007, pp. 1, 12A.</ref> Stewart continued in her position when Maldonado succeeded Dovalina.<ref>''Laredo Community College 2007&ndash;2008 Catalog,'' pp. 309, 312.</ref>​

However, the trustees reversed course and voted 5-3 to renew Stewart's contract for another year. Altgelt had threatened to sue the members individually had they not done so.<ref name=contractsresolved>{{cite web|url=http://www.lmtonline.com/news/local/article_d9d1ce78-20e7-11e5-984f-0bb462bc7f02.html|title=CFO stays, chief expires: President's contract will not be extended|publisher='''The Laredo Morning Times ''|date=July 2, 2015|pages=1, 12A|author=Judith Rayo|accessdate=September 8, 2015}}</ref> Stewart had also clashed with preceding President Ramón Dovalina, whom she accused, along with the then the retiring chief financial officer Daniel J. "Dan" Flores, Jr. (1938-2016),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lmtonline.com/obituaries/article_a73b952a-0e30-11e6-aeef-334b6b1efc9a.html|title=Daniel Flores, Jr.|work=Laredo Morning Times|date=April 29, 2016|accessdate=August 1, 2016}}</ref> of "retaliation, verbal abuse, harassment, mental anguish, creation of a hostile work environment, and excessive stress and harm to her professional reputation."<ref name=auditorscomplaint/> Dovalina announced his pending departure within a month of the raising of Stewart's allegations.<ref name=auditorscomplaint>Tricia Cortez, "LCC feud: Auditor's complaint against President, CFO alleges retaliation, harassment," ''The Laredo Morning Times,'' February 23, 2007, pp. 1, 12A.</ref> Stewart continued in her position when Maldonado succeeded Dovalina.<ref>''Laredo Community College 2007&ndash;2008 Catalog,'' pp. 309, 312.</ref>​

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