Superintendent/President Dr. Lisa Aguilera Lawrenson sent the following letter to the Delta College community this week in response to a campus incident:

Dear Delta College Campus Community,

The safety of all students and employees is integral to our college culture, as are inclusivity and personal development. At a time when members of our campus community may not be feeling safe, seen, or heard, we want all members of our campus community, especially our LGBTQIA+ students and employees, as well as other disproportionately impacted groups, to know that the campus community will stand with them and provide the best possible learning and working environment for them. We, the leadership of the college, are resolute in affirming the vision, mission, and values of our college and the safety and well-being of our students and employees.

Our Vision states that “We believe in our students and act as a catalyst for knowledge growth, social equity, economic mobility, personal development, and life-long learning”. Our mission states that “we actively and continuously strive to be a student-centered, anti-racist, equity-focused college.” We want all members of our campus community to know that we will stand strong as a community to uphold our campus values of inclusivity and equity. This means that we all need to work together to support our campus community and to maintain an environment of respect and inclusion.

Recently an on-campus incident of vandalism to a trash can in an all-gender restroom occurred. The vandalism was focused on transgender and/or gender-non-conforming people. District Police are currently investigating this incident, and the issue is also being looked into by Human Resources.

Should you have any information related to this incident or any other acts of vandalism or hate crimes or hate speech, please contact police dispatch at 209-954-5000. For complaints of sex discrimination, please contact the Title IX Coordinator at (209) 954-5059. Also, Dr. Ricky Gutierrez-Maldonado serves as the campus point of contact (per AB 620) for the LGBTQIA+ community at (209) 954-5102.

This incident of vandalism does not reflect the values that we are dedicated to as a District. However, it is an indicator that we must collectively support our LGBTQIA+ students and employees who have been impacted by this event.

As Superintendent/President, I am working with our Delta College Pride Coalition on ways to provide support to those impacted by this incident. Moreover, I am dedicated to providing and maintaining an environment free from discrimination, including harassment. We will take immediate and appropriate action to investigate and respond to harassment that creates a hostile environment and illegal actions that discriminate against others.

We are living in challenging and difficult times. We will stand strong together. We will work to protect our campus community, all our students and employees, and fulfill our mission and vision. We are committed to seeing all of our students meet their goals, and it is our responsibility to ensure those students have a safe learning environment and that employees have a safe and productive working environment in which to serve our community.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lisa Aguilera Lawrenson
Superintendent/President

Constituency Leaders in Support of this Letter:

Delta College Pride Coalition
Dr. Elizabeth Maloney, CTA President
Becky Plaza, Academic Senate President
Raman Deol, Management Senate President
Edna Takahashi CSEA President
Susan Rodriguez, Classified Senate President
Mary Morehead, POA Vice President