College trustees will hold special meeting to evaluate president’s recent conduct

Dr. Charles Dillon

VICTORY TWP. — The West Shore Community College Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting today at 7 p.m. to discuss the recent alleged conduct of President Charles Dillon. Last Wednesday night, Dillon was arrested by Manistee Police Department and charged with operating a vehicle while under the influence of liquor.

According to Board of Trustees Chairman James Jensen, the board, the board immediately began an investigation of its own into the matter, specifically dealing with Dillon’s contract.

According to Dave Bachman, director of public safety, Dillon was stopped by MPD about 9 p.m. Wednesday in the parking lot of Olsen Grocery store.

Officers were responding to reports of a drunk driver called into 911, Bachman said.

Dillon was stopped, evaluated and arrested. He apparently refused to take a breath test at the scene and therefore a blood draw was taken and sent in to the Michigan State Police crime lab for results.

He was lodged in the Manistee County Jail overnight.

The board of trustees is expected to go into closed session to discuss the matter. The Michigan Open Meetings Act allows for a public board to go into closed session to consider the dismissal, suspension or disciplining of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against, or to consider a periodic personnel evaluation of, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual agent, if the named person requests a closed hearing. The OMA also requires all action to be conducted in open session, however.

The meeting will be held in the college’s Administrative and Conference Center board room. If there are too many people for the board room, it will be moved to the Mertle B. Thompson Room in the same building.