City College of San Francisco Chancellor Kimberlee Messina has been placed on paid administrative leave while the board investigates allegations of improper financial practices.
The quiet of the administrative offices at City College of San Francisco broke this Tuesday when the board of trustees announced that Chancellor Kimberlee Messina had been placed on paid administrative leave. The decision follows a series of internal allegations centering on the handling of college funds and the compensation structure of its top executive.
At the heart of the inquiry are claims that Messina padded her $350,000 annual salary. The allegations. brought forward by her own executive assistant. suggest the use of unapproved stipends. unauthorized vacation days. and cash benefits. alongside broader claims regarding the improper accounting of district funds.
For the board of trustees, the move serves as a procedural firewall. Their official statement emphasized that the leave was implemented “solely to preserve the integrity of the review.” They have asked the campus community to refrain from speculation or premature judgment while the investigation unfolds.
Messina, who now sits on the sidelines as the review begins, publicly welcomed the scrutiny. “I am grateful to the board for taking any and all allegations seriously,” she said. “I commend them for ensuring there is a thorough and confidential investigation in accordance with their fiduciary duty to the district.”.
The administrative vacuum left by her absence will be addressed rapidly. On Thursday, the board of trustees is slated to meet to consider the appointment of an acting chancellor to oversee the college’s daily operations while the review remains ongoing.
City College of San Francisco Kimberlee Messina CCSF higher education San Francisco news college administration