News: Lake-Sumter State College faculty is on edge

NEWS

UNION SUIT

PHOTO OF DAVID WALTON COURTESY LSSC

The Lake-Sumter State College chapter of the United Faculty of Florida union decries the sudden dismissal of a tenured professor and key bargaining member

BY ALEX GALBRAITH

The sudden firing of a longtime co-worker is always jarring. But Lake-Sumter State College faculty see well beyond their own offices when it comes to the recent termination of Dr. David Walton. They see a precedent that could tear up the very foundation of higher ed employment and make union actions little more than a pipe dream.

Walton, a tenured anthropology professor who had worked at LSSC for six years, was terminated over email in early June. Walton told Orlando Weekly he was contacted by the college to come in for a meeting via Microsoft Outlook.

“I told them I could do a Zoom meeting,” Walton said, noting that he was in Ohio when he received the request. “I also asked whether or not the meaning was disciplinary. They are legally required to tell employees that, so that we can have a union representative with us.”

Walton’s answer came in the form of a letter from college president Dr. Stanley Sidor, telling him his contract would not be renewed. It did not specify a reason, though faculty who spoke to Orlando Weekly could venture a guess: Walton was a senior member of the faculty union, who are in the midst of bargaining their first contract with the school.

“I see no other logical way to connect the dots to make it make sense,” Walton said.

LSSC’s United Faculty of Florida has been recognized by the school following an election. Union chapter president and biology professor Dr. Debra Hicks said that COVID-19 slowed their progress in negotiating a contract with the school but noted they were progressing. Walton was part of a threeperson team that was bargaining on behalf of the union.

“We haven’t had any major conflicts,” Hicks told Orlando Weekly. “We have been going to the table in good faith.” Hicks said Walton’s termination came as a shock and took the wind out of the sails of many of their fellow faculty members. “The morale has dropped dramatically,” she said. “If they can dismiss someone with Dr. Walton’s credentials without a reason, then nobody is comfortable about their jobs going forward.”

A letter between President Sidor and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Michael Vitale gave some indication as to the school’s reasoning. It appeared that Vitale and Sidor objected to the number of freshmen orientation classes that Walton was teaching. These classes, dubbed Student Life Skills or SLS courses, teach incoming students how to adjust to college-level expectations.

“I discovered that while there were occasions for several faculty to pick up an SLS course to make [a full course] load, one consistently had to do so,” wrote Vitale, also noting that Walton appeared to lack a credential to teach a geography course. “Based on these findings, it is my recommendation that the [tenure] of this faculty member … be terminated.”

Both Walton and Hicks pointed out that this was extremely odd. Course loads are assigned and approved by deans at LSSC, they said, with little control given to the staff.

“We have nothing to do with the schedule as to what we teach and don’t teach,” said Hicks.

UFF leadership called the reasoning for Walton’s termination unprecedented, in a statement about his firing and the union’s actions around it. “Administrative actions such as this is why the United Faculty of Florida continues to grow. Continuing Contract faculty have a legal right to due process,” said United Faculty of Florida President Karen Morian. “I am astounded at Dr. Sidor’s actions, and question the wisdom of a decision which makes a contract with LSSC not worth the paper it’s written on. The business community it partners with, as well as the faculty and students, deserve better.”

Walton will receive an administrative hearing, where he’ll be able to argue the facts of his termination in front of a lawyer appointed by the college’s Board of Trustees. While he was wary of making predictions, Walton said his lawyer thinks his case is a “slam dunk.”

Vitale and Sidor declined to comment directly, but issued a statement through a college spokesperson. “Lake-Sumter State College and its District Board of Trustees implements its policies and procedures on employment as authorized by Florida Statutes and the Florida Administrative Code,” they wrote. “With respect to this case, Lake-Sumter State College does not comment on pending legal cases.”

news@orlandoweekly.com

¶ Are we sunk?

After making it into the Final Four of a Reddit competition for best county in Florida, Orange County finally sank to the bottom of the sea.

The hate-a-thon has raged on for over 60 days on the Florida subreddit, with a county being deleted from the map each day under the guise of being claimed by the ocean. Votes for the next victim were tallied by counting the number of upvotes on suggested counties in the comments of each day’s post. Every post announcing the sinking of one county was also a place to vent spleens about the worst remaining municipalities. Orange County made it to a final four that also included Alachua County, Hillsborough County and Pinellas County, before being sent to a watery grave.

Orange County just barely outlived Monroe County (home of the Florida Keys) and Brevard County (home of several exotic ways to get the hell out of Brevard County). With all due respect to The Swamp and Fest, we have a feeling it’s going to come down to the two rival counties on the Bay.

¶ Roasted in the House of Mouse

While there’s an entire list of things he claims to be the best at, there are really only two qualifications for being Walt Disney World’s Gaston. You have to be handsome and you have to be quick on your feet. The most arrogant cast member on Earth proved to be both recently, when he roasted a woman who asked him for a date in a TikTok that’s since gone viral.

In the clip, uploaded by TikTok user Steph Swift, a woman named Grace Foltz shouts to Gaston that her boyfriend recently broke up with her and asks the strutting muscleman for a date. “Sorry, I’m looking for the most beautiful woman in town,” Gaston responds before walking away with a self-satisfied head waggle.

Swift turns the camera back on Foltz, clearly shocked. “Oh my God, did I just get roasted?” she asks.

The video has since been viewed 11.5 million times. Foltz uploaded her own video about the aftermath of the viral clip, where she notes that people were calling her “Dollar Store Anna Kendrick.” Foltz has added “not the most beautiful girl in town” to her bio and noted that she’s “still heartbroken but trying to laugh through it.” Whether she meant over her ex or Gaston is unclear.

¶ Cruising for a bruising

After a series of stutter-starts, Disney Cruise Line will return to sailing on Monday, Aug. 9.

The company shared an announcement to their official parks Twitter account, noting that the Disney Dream would set sail from Port Canaveral in August. While the cruise traffic has been stopped, that terminal has been hard at work updating the area for passengers.

As the state of Florida continues to fight CDC orders around cruising, Disney has been working to comply with the restrictions. An initial test sail that was meant to show the line could follow all guidelines had to be postponed after several crew members tested positive for coronavirus. The rescheduled sailing was completed last weekend.

The Dream will sail to the Bahamas on three- and four-night cruises. The cruise line backed up the announcement with a video promoting its safety precautions and encouraging guests to get vaccinated. Disney will require COVID-19 tests of all guests who refuse to prove their vaccination status. Guests will be required to wear face masks indoors. — Alex Galbraith