Linfield College faculty vote no confidence in board chair

PORTLAND — Linfield College faculty have passed a vote of no confidence in their college board chair, finding he failed to protect students after receiving a complaint from a graduate who accused a trustee of sexually abusing her and two others.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reported faculty supported the motion of no confidence in David Baca, 88 to 18, according to faculty members.

Faculty members have “no confidence in Board of Trustees Chair David Baca to continue to provide leadership that promotes transparency, accountability, and responsiveness on issues of sexual assault and sexual misconduct,” the motion read.

The vote came after Linfield’s president said he had been a victim of child sex abuse and pledged to students and faculty in a special statement that the private school in McMinnville won’t tolerate sexual harassment or abuse.

It also followed reports in The Oregonian/OregonLive about the indictment of former trustee David Jubb, who faces sexual abuse charges involving three students in 2017 and a student-trustee in 2019.

A Linfield graduate, who agreed to be identified by her initials A.K., told the newspaper last week that the school failed to intervene as promised after she reported in 2018 that Jubb allegedly groped her and two other students after drinking too much at a bar following a senior achievement dinner on campus in 2017.

Baca did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.