Thursday, October 1, 2026
WENATCHEE — The Wenatchee Valley College Board of Trustees has renewed President Faimous Harrison’s contract for another three years, extending his leadership through December 2028. The board voted on Nov. 19 and described the decision as a strong endorsement of Harrison’s direction for the college. His new contract begins January 1, 2026.
In its announcement, the board praised Harrison’s “commitment to accountability and transparency” and credited him with efforts to update institutional planning, champion governance reform, and expand professional leadership opportunities on campus. Harrison thanked the board and said the renewal supports the college’s mission of service to students, faculty, and the region.
Since becoming president in 2022, Harrison has overseen a revision of WVC’s mission, vision and values, launched the college’s first Leadership Development Academy, and represented rural colleges in statewide advocacy efforts. The trustees said they “were proud to support Dr. Harrison’s leadership” and pointed to initiatives aimed at strengthening communication and student support.
The same day trustees announced the contract renewal, Wenatchee Valley College student David Lanfor issued a statement criticizing the decision and disputing the board’s praise of “accountability and transparency.” Lanfor said his personal experience at WVC reflects “the exact opposite.”
In his statement, Lanfor described being invited to a private lunch shortly after Harrison became president. According to Lanfor, Harrison asked him to report concerns directly about how academic leadership handled institutional breakdowns. Lanfor wrote that he agreed because he “believed him,” but said he was left unprotected once backlash arose after he raised concerns about a bachelor-level engineering course that received no instruction for most of a quarter, then allegedly awarded every student an A in the course, “despite having learned nothing” while the missing instructor was “stranded in India due to visa issues.”
“He is a skilled talker and a political operator—someone who says exactly what you want to hear while doing the opposite in practice,” Lanfor wrote.
Lanfor also alleges that WVC imposed a registration block on him “with zero notice, zero appeal, and zero due process,” and that he has been forced to pursue legal action after the college “repeatedly failed to comply with Public Records Act requests.” His litigation includes a petition in Chelan County Superior Court and related appellate proceedings. He argues these experiences “directly contradict the Board’s claim of Harrison’s ‘commitment to accountability and transparency.’”
Lanfor’s statement additionally referenced the college’s recent $1 million judgment in a gender discrimination and retaliation lawsuit brought by a faculty member, calling it evidence of “deep structural and cultural problems within the institution.” He wrote, “When a college is paying a million-dollar judgment for discrimination and simultaneously forcing students into court to obtain their own records, the Board’s claim of a ‘commitment to accountability and transparency’ is simply not believable.”
WVC’s contract announcement did not address Lanfor’s concerns or mention court proceedings. The college has not made further statements regarding pending litigation or the previous discrimination case in relation to Harrison’s renewal.
For trustees, accountability is tied to governance reform, communication initiatives, leadership development and institutional planning. For Lanfor, it centers on legal compliance, access to records, due process in student discipline and procedural safeguards.
The courts will determine whether Lanfor’s allegations have legal merit. The college’s decision regarding its president, however, has already been made.
With Harrison’s contract extended, the board says its priority is to expand stakeholder engagement, strengthen internal communication, and “create a healthy leadership culture” over the next three years. Meanwhile, student litigation and broader questions about institutional trust will continue outside the governance process.
For now, Harrison retains the confidence of the board. At least one student says that trust has to be earned differently.
Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media
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