After 53 years of providing successful student services for students of color, the MAGA hostile takeover at MATC eliminated the Multicultural Student Services Office, which four student services specialists lost their full-time positions at the technical college.
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.
November 25, 2025
Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Monday, a protest was held against the alleged MAGA (Make Amerikkka Great Again) hostile takeover at the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) in downtown Milwaukee, which resulted in the elimination of the Multicultural Student Services Office, that many MATC alumni believe it was the Soul and Heart of Diversity at the technical college, which provided crucial services to students of color from the Latino/Hispanic, African-American, Asian-American and Native-American communities. The Multicultural Student Services Office was eliminated by MATC President Dr. Anthony Cruz in late August 2025, and by September four student services specialists positions were eliminated. (Video of MATC protest, Monday, November 24, 2025 at link: https://youtu.be/SRET2niRdGA)
Since the termination of the four student service specialists, they filed a discrimination complaint against MATC with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Equal Rights Division claiming race discrimination. (Article link: https://hispanicnewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2025/11/four-former-student-services.html?m=0)
The Multicultural Student Services Office was replaced by the Office of Community Impact, which no longer provides the same student services as the previous Multicultural office did leaving a huge void at the campus, which bilingual services at the Community Impact are non-existent, since it can no longer focus of ethnic or race related services meaning that the Soul and Heart of Diversity at the technical college has been eliminated affecting students of color and disenfranchising and doing a disservice to the taxpayers from the communities of color who help pay for Dr. Cruz's $285,000 annual salary plus $50,000 bonus for travel expenses and other benefits.
In other words, MATC can no longer strive as the most diverse technical college in Wisconsin, because Dr. Cruz eliminated ethnic and race related student services to comply with Trump's elimination of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs that multiple federal courts have ruled that it was illegal and unconstitutional, including that Trump couldn't withhold federal funding to universities and colleges. If they didn't comply, because the U.S. Department of Education federal guidelines violated free speech in classrooms.
It appears that a MAGA hostile takeover has infiltrated the MATC president's office, the administration at the technical college and the majority of the MATC Board of Trustees who are in mission to eliminate all Diversity programs at the college. It also appears, that some bilingual courses are now being eliminated as well, according to sources at MATC. For example, Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) learned that MATC eliminated a bilingual economic course for next year, despite having more than 75 students on a waiting list. How many other bilingual courses at MATC are facing the same fate.
On the contrary to MATC eliminating ethnic and race related service programs, Dr. Cruz had been pushing to get MATC certified as a 25% Hispanic Serving Institute in order to receive federal funding. How ironic!
Student population stats: MATC has about 63% majority minority student population including 24% of Hispanic student population.
MATC just released a video ad promo (alleged propaganda) with Dr. Cruz, which is very misleading with no mention of being a diverse technical college serving communities of color. Most likely, Cruz who is a Latino from Florida who came to Milwaukee for a job isn't to very proud today to be the president at MATC.
He has repeatedly ignored the communities of color demands to restore the Multicultural Student Services and restore the positions of the four student service specialists that were unjustly terminated. Dr. Cruz reluctance to meet and work with the communities of color will eventually lead to his failure at MATC. So far, Dr. Cruz hasn't done anything significant to earn his salary today.
Check out the current MATC video with a misleading narrative to promote the college, but in reality, after the smoke clears, we can definitely see the truth, that MATC is facing an alleged MAGA hostile takeover with a mission (agenda) to eliminate all Diversity programs. (MATC promo video posted in YouTube: https://youtu.be/6B-Mndm0Afc)
Today, Dr. Cruz, the MATC administration and the majority of the MATC Board of Trustees are on a mission to eliminate (erase) all Diversity programs and cultural activities at the technical college, disenfranchising the communities of color and students, which is also a disservice to local taxpayers.
In the MATC YouTube video, it shows students of color, but the fact is Dr. Cruz eliminated the Multicultural Student Services Office in late August 2025 without first informing the surrounding communities of color (betraying community trust), which provided student services to students of color, but yet Dr. Cruz says in the video, he is working for their success and community trust. How ironic!
Also Dr. Cruz indicates, MATC is working for the well being of its employees, but the fact is that four former Multicultural Student Service specialists recently filed discrimination complaints with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Equal Rights Division. (Press conference video: https://youtu.be/VyTtNJw0H9s)
Dr. Cruz and the MATC Board have heard employees, faculty and others testify before them about the continued hostile work environment at MATC, work place discrimination and retaliation practices against employees who complain, and the continued practice by the administration of not promoting part-time faculty to full-time within the technical college and etc... (MATC Board public comments testimony links: https://youtu.be/ed93-NODo8M and https://youtu.be/Lm_ImpZGXn4)
MATC Alumni and community activist Samuel A. Alford public comment testimony regarding the elimination of the Multicultural Student Services Office by MATC President Dr. Cruz, during the November 24, 2025 MATC Board of Trustees meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The members of the MATC Board of Trustees are, Erica L. Case, Chairperson; Citlali Mendieta-Ramos, Vice-Chairperson; Dr. Waleed Najeeb, Secretary; Gail Pence, Treasurer; Lauren Baker; Mark F. Foley and Wisconsin State Representative Supreme Moore-Omokunde (D-Milw). (MATC Board of Directors | MATC https://share.google/JBtolZmTGaz4lo885)
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