Bonds-Jones, Vice-President of the Milwaukee Area Technical College Human Services, in an email says, that the elimination of the Multicultural Student Service Specialist staff would comply with the U.S. Department of Education guidelines "that prohibits positions with duties that provide services exclusively to students based on race or ethnicity."
By H. Nelson Goodson
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.
August 21, 2025
Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Wednesday, Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) Laquitha Bonds-Jones, Vice-President of Human Resources in an email shared by sources with Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA), in the email, she confirmed that four Student Service Specialist staff positions, including the Multicultural Affairs have been eliminated to comply with the U.S. Department of Education guidelines "that prohibits positions with duties that provide services exclusively to students based on race or ethnicity. The four student service specialist roles in question were designed solely to serve students of a specific race/ethnic group. Because those roles could not be restructured to comply with the guidance, the duties themselves were eliminated, and the positions tied to them no longer exist."
Apparently, MATC President Anthony Cruz and the full MATC Board are on board to cut any student services that were previously established for the underserved minority community and students (Blacks, Hispanics (Latinos), Asian, and Native American) based on race and ethnicity, in order to help attract recruitment and to retain them at MATC.
The four student service specialists staff members in the Multicultural Affairs include African-American, Mexican-American, Asia-American, and Native-American. These positions have been eliminated permanently and none of the staff members that were abruptly fired have not been offered alternative positions at MATC causing a backlash and major concerns by MATC instructors, workers and students.
The four staff members of the Multicultural Affairs received letters of termination and gave them a 30-days notice by the MATC human resources. The fired employees were encouraged to apply for any of the two positions in the newly created Office of Community Impact office, or apply for any open position at MATC for which they would qualify.
In the termination letter sent to the student service specialists that were terminated, MATC wrote that they were restructuring the Multicultural Affairs Office and replacing it with the new Office of Community Impact, which didn't say that those terminated would be allowed to transfer to the new office being created.
HNNUSA has learned that the the MATC Union (American Federation of Teachers -Local 212), is suing MATC for all the illegal practices taken under Dr. Cruz leadership.
According to a source, the MATC faculty union, AFT Local 212, has strongly opposed the cuts and is calling attention to a deeper issue: the lack of shared governance at the college. Union leaders argue that decisions of this magnitude – which directly impact students and faculty – are being made behind closed doors without input from the broader campus community.
Instructors have also voiced frustration about broader workplace issues, including harassment, retaliation against whistleblowers, and the college’s failure to promote long-serving part-time instructors into full-time roles. The union has stressed that the elimination of multicultural services represents not only a setback for equity but also a troubling erosion of collaborative decision-making between administration, faculty, and staff.
Bonds-Jones wrote in the MATC email, "We recognize that our handbook outlines that longevity is to be considered when eliminating interchangeable positions with the same title. In this case, however, all of the positions were impacted and were program-specific and functionally distinct from other student service specialist roles within the department. Longevity does not apply when an entire category of work is eliminated. The other Student Service Specialist - International role is not considered the same because it has a broader scope of responsibility with a unique specialization (ie. knowledge of immigration laws, experience with H1B visa and immigration status, initiation of I-20's through Homeland Security [SEVIS] etc.). Therefore there are no equivalent positions into which individuals could "bump."
"While position eliminations at MATC are relatively infrequent, we, (as we have been in the past), were consistent with the application and interpretation of the layoff procedure. We know these changes are difficult, and we want to reiterate that this decision was not based on performance or years of service, but in compliance with federal guidance, the structural design of the positions, and business needs. Moving forward, our focus will be on student engagement and success strategies that serve all students equitably.
"We remain committed to supporting both employees and students during this transition," Bonds-Jones wrote in the email.
Sources indicate that MATC President Cruz and members of the MATC Board seemed to comply and support Trump's elimination of DEI without making a stand against Trump, because Cruz nor the full MATC Board have stood against Trump's discriminatory Executive Order eliminating DEI and ordering the U.S. Department of Education to provide guidance prohibiting positions with duties that provide services exclusively to students based on race or ethnicity.
The U.S. Department of Education and Trump's threat to withhold federal funding from educational institutions who continue to practice DEI is illegal and infringe in the educators free speech in the classrooms, according to multiple federal court rulings in Maryland, New Hampshire and Washington D.C., according to edreformnow dot org.
According to Wisconsin state statues: 2024 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 38 - Technical college system.
38.001 - Mission and purpose.
Under this statue it states that the principal purpose of technical colleges in the state is to (e) provide education and services which address barriers created by stereotyping and discriminating and assist individuals with disabilities, minorities, women, and the disadvantaged to participate in the work force and the full range of technical college programs and activities.
The elimination of the Multicultural Affairs Office can be considered a violation of MATC's mission and purpose.
MATC has not made it public yet and have not informed the Black, Hispanic, Asian and Native-American communities that the Multicultural Affairs office and its four student service specialists have been permanently eliminated.
At least 60% of the student enrollment at MATC are minority.
A petition has been created to save and reinstate the office and staff of the Multicultural Affairs at MATC
https://chng.it/KZHjtFfv5P
Editor's note: HNNUSA has learned that multiple MATC students, some instructors and the four fired student service specialists from the Multicultural Affairs Office are expected to address the full MATC Board of Trustees on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, at 4:00 p.m., room M220, downtown campus located at 700 W. State Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
