HVCC Board Chairman: ‘We should know something soon’ on president investigation
ONLY ON 13: The HVCC Board of Trustees Chairman said they should know something by the end of the week regarding the investigation into a sexual harassment claim against the college president, Roger Ramsammy.
Board chairman, Neil Kelleher gave that update during an interview right after their monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 28.
This is the first time any board member has spoken on camera since 13Investigates broke the story about the sexual harassment claim. It was allegedly filed by an employee at the school.
The board knows absolutely nothing about any details in the investigation, Kelleher said.
It’s being handled by Bond, Schoeneck & King Attorneys in New York City. Kelleher is in contact with them, he said.
He also noted the entire board committed to wait until a report about the investigation was in their hands before saying anything. The board members have held up to that confidentiality commitment, Kelleher said.
“There’s plenty of rumors and innuendo flying around, as there always is, but we don’t have any desire to listen to any hearsay or third-party stuff. We’re going to wait for this report and then act accordingly.”
However, the union representing nearly 300 faculty members is not pleased with the lack of transparency.
The HVCC Faculty Association said in a statement:
“It is deeply concerning that the Board of Trustees has yet to provide any further information beyond one comment two weeks ago regarding the ongoing investigation into President Ramsammy and allegations of sexual harassment. These are serious allegations that raise significant questions about safety and trust on our campus, and the lack of communication from the administration heightens these concerns.
We’re asking the College to provide the campus community with timely and meaningful updates about the investigation so we can better understand the situation and move forward together. We await to hear from the College on a timeline for when the investigation will conclude and the next steps regarding this situation.”