Hundreds of faculty in Fresno gave no-confidence vote to retiring chancellor
Hundreds of union members with the State Center Federation of Teachers unanimously approved a vote of no confidence aimed at Chancellor Carole Goldsmith and her leadership of the district, citing a culture of retaliation, silencing voices and nepotism.
The vote took place the same day Goldsmith announced her retirement from leading the state’s fourth-largest community college district, which includes Fresno City College, Clovis Community College, Madera Community College and Reedley College. She has been leading the system since 2022.
The union vote calls for her immediate dismissal, irrespective of her announcement of retirement, according to the resolution.
Keith Ford, union president, provided several examples from member feedback of complaints against the chancellor, including an ethics complaint alleging nepotism filed over a $161,000 consultant Goldsmith frequently referred to as her “goddaughter.” Ford also said the district’s annual legal expenses have tripled due to a spike in lawsuits related to alleged retaliation, wrongful termination, discrimination, and First Amendment violations.
“A team of bullies has enacted a culture of retaliation and fear, ignoring faculty expertise and silencing college voices,” Ford said at the meeting. “Faculty morale is at an all-time low. Goldsmith preaches kindness, but the faculty’s experience of her leadership is very different from her carefully crafted public persona.”
The no confidence vote was prompted by a climate survey conducted by the union this month, which received over 300 responses. In the survey, faculty criticized Goldsmith’s leadership as too centralized and filled with significant financial and ethical turmoil. Because of the results, a union member proposed adding a no confidence vote item to the agenda. A record 250 union members, more than double needed for a quorum, attended the meeting last Thursday evening and voted unanimously in favor, according to the union.
Hours before the union’s scheduled meeting last Thursday, Goldsmith announced her retirement effective September 2026.
In an emailed reply to The Fresno Bee, Goldsmith said her decision to retire was made entirely on her terms.
“My decision was made and announced before the vote and was based on my own timeline and the District’s strong position. It is unrelated to union actions,” Goldsmith said.
In the retirement statement, Goldsmith said the district’s enrollment has climbed to more than 70,000 students, making it the fourth-largest district in California. Over the past five years, the district has added 110 faculty and 78 administrators, while other educational institutions are laying off staff, and the district passed Measure Q, a $698 million bond measure to support colleges’ facility construction.
“That said, I’m not going anywhere yet. We still have important work to do, and I plan to press forward, full speed, until my final day in September 2026,” Goldsmith said in the statement.
Ford said the union members decided that it would be too costly to let her stay in office for another ten months.
“We believe that her actions, unchecked by any fear of dismissal, reply or reprisal, will get worse,” Ford said.
Ford said he believes that Goldsmith’s decision on retirement was made because of the upcoming union’s vote.
“We circulated the agenda a few days before to all of our members, and anything that goes out to our members somehow has a way of finding its way back to administration,” Ford said. “So it seems like it was a preemptive action to us.”
Goldsmith attributed the vote to a bargaining tactic during the union negotiations.
“Votes of no confidence during bargaining are not uncommon, they are symbolic, nonbinding, and have no governance effect on the district or its leadership,” Goldsmith told The Bee. “This action does not change district operations, nor does it reflect the reality of our organization.”
Ford said the union still plans to meet again with the district at the negotiation table in good faith later this week.
Goldsmith’s contract includes a clause that no matter the reason for her dismissal, she gets 18 months of severance pay, according to Ford.
“She needs to go, and she needs to go now. 10 months is too long,” he said. “It actually would be doing her a favor by releasing her now, giving her eight months additional pay rather than letting her stay on for another 10 months.”
This story was originally published November 17, 2025 at 4:21 PM.
