Facing Protesting Workers, College Backs Off Layoffs

With about 200 protesting workers in attendance, and facing charges of allowing wasteful spending, the board of the San Jose/Evergreen Community College District on Tuesday backed off a layoff plan that would have cost more than 100 jobs, The San Jose Mercury News reported. Board members have cited the terrible budget situation in California to justify the layoffs, but critics have noted that the district's outgoing chancellor was found to have charged the district for travel to El Salvador and Scotland, raising questions about whether available funds have been used effectively.