PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION: Rio Hondo President’s Removal Raises Legal and Ethical Red Flags

The recent and abrupt firing of Rio Hondo College President Dr. Marilyn Flores appears to have been conducted under highly questionable circumstances that may have violated ethical norms and potentially even California state law.

Dr. Flores was terminated in a 3-2 vote by the Board of Trustees without cause and without prior notice—just six months after the Board had unanimously extended her contract for another three-year term. No faculty, staff, or student organizations were consulted or informed ahead of time, which contradicts standard norms of shared governance in higher education.

Her firing followed a shift in Board leadership and occurred shortly before her apparent replacement, Dr. Don Miller, a longtime colleague of the current Board President, was installed as interim president. This sequence of events raises serious questions about internal political motives, board-level coordination, and whether there was a predetermined intent to remove Dr. Flores despite her contract extension and lack of any public controversy.

Whittier 360’s preliminary findings indicate that:

• The decision may have been driven primarily by ideological or political disagreements.

• The lack of stakeholder consultation and sudden nature of the firing suggest a deliberate bypassing of ethical protocols.

• The timing of the firing, coinciding with pending litigation involving a campus contractor, warrants deeper scrutiny into potential conflicts of interest and connections between board members and outside parties.

• Rio Hondo College has a pattern of political instability, with multiple short-term presidents and past terminations tied to internal board tensions.

At this time, former President Flores has stated she is considering legal action against the college, and our investigation into the board’s internal dynamics, campaign ties, and external relationships is ongoing.

Whittier 360 News Network will continue to pursue transparency and accountability on behalf of the public and the students of Rio Hondo College.

Further updates will follow.