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Eugene-Springfield NAACP cited Zach Mulholland's treatment of the college's president. The group's statement comes in the wake of a report substantiating abusive and bullying on behalf of Mulholland and some other board members.
This story has been updated with comments from Zach Mulholland.
Eugene-Springfield NAACP is calling for Zach Mulholland to resign from the Lane Community College Board of Education in the wake of a report that he used abusive and bullying language directed at the college’s president and others.
“If Mr. Mulholland refuses to resign, the Board must take immediate steps to censure him and begin the process of public recall,” the local NAACP branch said in a statement signed by executive director Drae Charles. “His continued presence on the Board of Education is incompatible with the values of public service, educational leadership and basic human dignity.”
Censure is the toughest sanction available to the board. Because Mulholland, like other members of the board, is elected, the board cannot expel him.
Mulholland told the NAACP that he “will not be tendering my resignation at this time.”
In a note he sent to the organization, Mulholland said he has “agreed to take multiple actions to address the issues raised in the report including apologies to individuals named in the report and I have suggested anti-bias training for all board members. I look forward to working with the board to resolve this matter and determine the best path forward.”
The NAACP’s statement, released Thursday, Aug. 14, comes in the wake of a report by attorney Rebekah R. Jacobson of the Salem law firm Garrett Hemann Robertson. Jacobson investigated complaints against the board, some of which involved Mulholland’s treatment of LCC President Stephanie Bulger, who is Black.
“What’s at stake here is not just the integrity of the LCC Board,” the NAACP statement said. “It is the well-being and dignity of a woman who did her job with professionalism and conviction, and who was harassed and targeted for it.”
In comments made earlier to the investigating attorney and to Lookout, Mulholland has said he did not believe he had engaged in verbal abuse or bullying. But he also said he recognized “I made some mistakes and have begun sending letters of apology where appropriate.”
In his note to the NAACP, Mulholland also said Jacobson’s report included “errors and missing context” that “render it an incomplete and inaccurate accounting of events.” He said he would address those errors and omissions during a meeting of the Board of Education.
Austin Fölnagy, the current chair of the board, said he could not comment about the statement on behalf of the board. However, Fölnagy added in an emailed statement: “I want to assure the public and all stakeholders that we are actively considering all available options and determining the necessary next steps.”
“We are committed to ensuring a comprehensive and diligent approach as we move forward,” he said.
In her report, Jacobson substantiated three of four complaints, mostly focusing on Mulholland — although other board members (with the exception of Julie Weismann) were implicated in one of the complaints. Since the complaints were filed before the election of two new board members, Jesse Maldonado and Jerry Rust, they were not interviewed for the report.
One of the substantiated complaints was read aloud by Kevin Alltucker, then the board’s vice-chair, at its April 2 meeting. Alltucker accused Mulholland, then the board’s chair, of attempting to bully Bulger by using offensive, profane and derogatory language — in particular at a stormy March 27 meeting.
Another complaint, also substantiated, involves an encounter Mulholland had with a student during a break in the April 2 meeting. The student said Mulholland spoke in a “hostile, aggressive and intimidating tone” and was “uncomfortably close” to her during the interaction.
Another substantiated complaint involves the actions of the entire board, excluding Weismann, during a March 5 meeting. The complaint alleged that the board’s failure to acknowledge Bulger’s feedback on a discussion topic was disrespectful and would not “have taken place if President Bulger was a white man.”
In addition to the calls for Mulholland’s resignation or censure by the board, the NAACP letter asks for the board to:
- Acknowledge the findings of the report, “without euphemism or minimization.”
- Implement mandatory, public anti-racism and anti-harassment training.
- Create independent reporting channels for future board misconduct.
- Publicly affirm its support for Bulger and commit to creating a safe, respectful working environment for all college staff.
The new statement is not the first time this year the NAACP, the nation’s oldest civil rights organization, has weighed in on Lane Community College matters. On April 25, the organization sent a letter to the board, expressing concern about Mulholland’s conduct and asking that he step down from the board while Jacobson’s investigation was underway.
The board did not respond to the letter, Charles told Lookout Eugene-Springfield. But Mulholland replied, writing that his legal counsel had advised him against permanently and officially resigning as chair.
“I appreciate the NAACP’s ongoing leadership and look forward to working with you to earn the trust that has been undermined by the reporting concerning recent events,” Mulholland wrote.
The board is scheduled to meet in executive session on Sept. 2, with its next regular meeting set for Sept. 3. Members of the public may not attend executive sessions.
