Students and staff of the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) are preparing for the beginning of classes in less than two weeks, but a controversy over a survey sent to thousands of employees asking about mask mandates is garnering much of the attention right now.
A survey emailed Monday morning by the MCCCD Employee Senate asked employees to complete a “60-Second Mask Requirement Survey” by the end of Wednesday. Classes formally start Aug. 23 but most staff members are already back to work.
The Employee Senate serves as a workplace association within MCCCD for non-faculty members working at the 10 community colleges and district office supporting more than 200,000 students.
“As we prepare to return to work for the Fall semester, we all want to keep everyone safe — students, staff, and faculty alike — but opinions vary as to how this should happen. As your advocates and as your voice to the District leadership, we want to know your preferences so we know what to request,” the two Employee Senate co-presidents wrote to employees.
But one longtime district employee described the survey as “very disgusting and disturbing” during an interview with Arizona Daily Independent. One concern, the employee said, is the fact the survey cannot be truly confidential given that employees can only access the survey link via a MCCCD email account.
The second concern, the employee noted, is the demographic questions contained in the survey can be used to further identify an employee. And a question about whether an employee will support whatever policy is implemented -or is likely to quit if there is a mandate- could be used as a basis to retaliate against employees.
In the meantime, questions are being asked about who would enforce a mask mandate if implemented by MCCCD. It will not be the officers of the Maricopa Community Colleges’ Police Department, according to the president of the department’s police officers association.
“We’re not the mask police,” Hill said. “You must handle this, as it’s not a police issue.”
Hill explained that mask mandates are not state laws. Therefore, an officer who acts under the color of authority to cite or arrest someone who has not committed a crime would likely lead to a federal civil rights lawsuit against the officer and MCCCD.
Even the responsibility for pressing trespassing charges against someone who refuses to mask up will fall on the shoulders of college officials or designated employees, Hill said.
An officer can only take action to remove someone from district property if a complaint that trespassing has occurred if made in front of the officer and the alleged trespasser by someone acting on behalf MCCCD.
“We as an officer cannot be the victim of a trespass,” Hill explained, adding that the person who makes the complaint will be the one summoned to any court hearings.