FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Email: concerned.pomona.students@gmail.com
POMONA COLLEGE STUDENTS HOLD VIGIL IN PROTEST OF EMPLOYEE DOCUMENT VERIFICATION
We, a group of concerned Pomona College students, are holding vigil outside Alexander Hall, which houses Pomona College’s administrative offices, in response to certain actions the College has taken regarding employee documentation.
On Monday, Nov. 7, 84 members of the Pomona College community – including faculty, staff, and students – received letters stating that there were deficiencies in their work documents. These individuals were given a deadline of Dec. 1 to re-verify their paperwork. As students committed to community engagement and social justice, we are deeply concerned about this impending deadline and the possible termination of members of the Pomona College community. We believe that the circumstances surrounding these planned terminations have been unclear, unjust, and in direct violation of the values espoused by Pomona College.
On our campus, this chain of events has caused significant distress, which, in the context of the national political discourse on immigration, has generated an urgent mandate for us to initiate dialogue and critical inquiry regarding the College’s actions. In the past few weeks, we have endeavored to communicate our concerns with Pomona College administration through a number of College-approved channels. The administration has been unwilling to attend to students’ demands, which have included at minimum an extension of the Dec. 1 deadline in order to provide ample time for mutual, transparent dialogue regarding this issue.
In response to the actions of Pomona College administration and its refusal to consider seriously the concerns and demands of the student body, we are moving forward by physically holding vigil on campus and demanding that:
- The Board of Trustees ceases and desists with its decision to re-verify work documents.
- Absolutely no Pomona College employees are terminated because of the College’s failure to properly collect employee documents during the hiring process.
- President Oxtoby and his administration are not held solely responsible for the College’s verification practices, given that deficiencies in many employee documents occurred during the preceding administrations.
- The Board of Trustees does not hide behind a cloak of confidentiality and legality, when it is a hallmark of a democratic society that issues can be discussed and considered communally.
- The Board of Trustees open channels of communication that are accessible to all members of the community and are not impeded by gatekeeping and bureaucracy.
We intend to maintain a non-disruptive presence around Alexander Hall until our demands have been met in substantive, transformative ways.
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