"It's amazing how much panic one honest man can spread among a multitude of hypocrites." -Thomas Sowell

During his thirteen years of service to Bakersfield College, Dr. Matthew Garrett has taught, advised, and mentored thousands of students. His service has earned him several campus awards including the 2017 President's Leadership Award, the 2018 Disabled Students Service Program Award, and the 2021 Margaret Levinson Faculty Leadership Award. Dr. Garrett has authored numerous books and articles and he is the co-founder of the Bakersfield College Renegade Institute for Liberty, a coalition of two dozen faculty dedicated to free speech, honest inquiry, and academic freedom.

However, Dr. Garrett's persistent, thoughtful questioning of partisan policies and expenditures has strangely overshadowed both his service and accomplishments at Bakersfield College. His fact based observations pertaining to budgets used for partisan programs has drawn the ire of the administration and on-campus social justice revolutionaries alike who have harassed and retaliated against Dr. Garrett for over three years, culminating in their present effort to terminate his employment without just cause. 

The motion to terminate Dr. Garrett will be raised at the KCCD Board meeting scheduled for April 13, 2023. 

We, the undersigned, call on the KCCD Board of Trustees and Board President, Romeo Agbalog, to dismiss all allegations against Dr. Garrett and retain him as a member of the Bakersfield College faculty and community.