On Feb. 23, 2021, the Associated Students of Moorpark College held a special ASMC meeting. ASMC along with other members of the public prepared a statement regarding the recent incident at Oxnard College that occurred last week.
A viral video of a student with a disability being berated by an Oxnard College Professor during an online class circulated over social media. The Ventura County Community College District has issued a statement regarding the incident that included one of their faculty members. According to the statement, the incident is already under investigation.
ASMC felt it was necessary to hold a special meeting to prepare a public statement that expresses support for all students, condemns discrimination as well as shares resources available to ensure the success of students.
ASMC President, David Katz, introduced the items on the agenda and the reason why the board decided to hold a special meeting.
“We have a special business item as concerning a statement being written and possibly released to offer our support against the incident that occurred at Oxnard College virtually last week,” Katz explained.
Members of the public were welcomed to attend the meeting. Two American sign language interpreters were present as well. During the public comments time each speaker would be given a limited amount of three minutes.
Student Annie Kroll was the first person from the public to speak and share her support for the person affected in the Oxnard campus incident.
“I would just like to be here to show my support and ask about the college system in general, try to make some changes both with the COVID procedures and how staff and students handle those with disabilities,” said Kroll.
Many other students present in the meeting expressed their unconditional support for students with disabilities in the Ventura County Community College District.
Student Luke Barrella, shared how disappointed he was in regard to the incident and proposed ideas to include in the public statement.
“If there’s anything that should be regarded in this statement is that students with disabilities are just capable as anyone else,” said Barrella.
The board meeting consisted of all individuals present sharing their ideas on what to include in the public statement.
Katz shared the first rough draft of the statement. The board then moved to discuss and make any necessary edits.
Once the ASMC Board of Directors votes on the finalized draft, the statement would be released to the consultation council.
Katz emphasized to the board members that the statement would not be immediately released to the public after being finalized.
“Due to the investigation we won’t be able to necessarily, if we decide to release the statement, we won’t necessarily be able to release it right away. There is some legal business that should be taken care of first,” Katz explained.
ASMC usually conducts regular meetings every Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.
To learn more about ASMC visit their website or follow them on social media.
