When Doug Loisel, 47, gave up his job in LA last year to become director of Santa Cruz’s Homeless Services Center, no one on the Board thought of conducting a background check, so the Sentinel did it for them.
When Doug Loisel, 47, gave up his job in LA last year to become director of Santa Cruz’s Homeless Services Center, no one on the Board thought of conducting a background check, so the Sentinel did it for them. What they learned was shocking. Loisel had been charged in his previous position with inappropriately touching a 16-year-old student former student at a local community college where he taught, attempting to sell her alcohol, and inviting her to meet again to further their “relationship.” He is even due to appear in court on Friday to set a date for his trial, yet no one at the Center realized this when he was hired.
Though he originally said that he would resign from his position, Loisel has since backtracked and said he has no intention of doing so. He claims that the charges stem from his alcoholism, from which he has since recovered, and that the girl came on to him. He has also pleaded not guilty to the charges.
For now, the city is debating what to do. The Center’s Board President Linda Finch is not prepared to take action yet, saying, “He would have to be found guilty for me to be worried.” That could be intended as a response to Mayor Cynthia Matthew’s statement: “At this point we’re gathering information and we’re very eager to hear from the organization itself, what their response is.” Others are not quite convinced, especially since Loisel will continue to work with hundreds of women and children. “The standard should be higher, not lower,” says Jennifer O’Brien-Rojo, Interim Executive Director of Walnut Avenue Women’s Center.
Read More at the Santa Cruz Sentinel
