SF City College Leader Put on Paid Leave During Investigation Into Alleged Misuse of Funds

An interim leader is taking over for Chancellor Kimberlee Messina at SF City College as she faces an investigation into allegations that she improperly handled district funds, including unapproved compensation and vacation benefits.

The City College of San Francisco Board of Trustees placed Chancellor Kimberlee Messina on paid administrative leave Tuesday as an independent investigator reviews allegations involving her handling of college district funds, as the Chronicle reports. Vice Chancellor for Academic and Institutional Affairs David Yee has been appointed temporary acting chancellor, and trustees are scheduled to consider hiring an acting chancellor at a special meeting Thursday.

Board President Aliya Chisti said the leave is an interim measure and does not represent a finding against Messina.

“This is a non-disciplinary, interim step and does not reflect any finding,” Chisti told the Chronicle.

The investigation stems from a September 4 complaint by Messina’s executive assistant, Mary Grace Esteban, who raised seven allegations concerning the use of CCSF funds and procedures in the chancellor’s office. In a September 11 letter to Esteban, Chisti said the allegations involved spending or compensation that either lacked board authorization or did not follow the college’s usual practices, as the Chronicle reported last month.

Among the allegations are that Messina received a monthly expense stipend without board approval, that her compensation appeared to exceed the amount authorized by the board, and that her vacation balance remained at 25 days despite taking time off in August and October 2025. Esteban also alleged that Messina bypassed the board’s travel-approval process by having requests signed by the vice chancellor of finance, who reports to her.

According to the Chronicle, the complaint also raised questions about payments to a former interim vice chancellor of finance that may have been classified improperly as contractor payments. Esteban said she was instructed to use an attendance spreadsheet to monitor work hours in the chancellor’s office, a practice not used elsewhere at the college.

Another allegation reportedly involved a staff lunch charged to Esteban’s City College credit card. After Esteban reported the charge to human resources, she said she was told not to use her card for such expenses. The original purpose listed for the lunch was also later changed, and Messina subsequently issued Esteban verbal and written reprimands over the incident.

Separately, concerns were raised about an effort to amend the February 24 contract of City College’s top lawyer, Amy McLellan, who had been licensed in Massachusetts and was required under the agreement to pass the California bar exam to continue serving as the district’s registered in-house counsel, per the Chronicle. Messina asked trustees in August and September to remove that requirement, and the proposed amendment was reportedly withdrawn without a vote.

The requirement was initially bypassed because an attorney with the state bar had determined the school was not considered a “governmental entity” and therefore McLellan could still serve as in-house counsel without passing the bar.

After the Chronicle asked for clarification on the matter, the state bar subsequently told the paper that it had reconsidered its earlier determination. A bar spokesperson said the initial decision allowing McLellan to serve at City College had been incorrect and that proposed rule changes could eventually prevent her from continuing in the position without passing the California bar.

Messina, who was selected as chancellor in June 2025, said she supported the investigation.

“I am grateful to the board for taking any and all allegations seriously,” Messina said, adding that she supported a thorough and confidential review.

The investigation comes as City College continues to contend with a long history of financial and management problems. The Chronicle reports that the college has gone through 13 chancellors in 11 years, while repeatedly facing financial instability and accreditation concerns.

Messina was hired last summer following a turbulent selection process. Trustees initially announced Carlos Cortez as the college’s next chancellor in May 2025, but the Chronicle subsequently reported that the board had never actually voted to hire him. That reporting also revealed that Cortez had been arrested in Florida the previous year on suspicion of driving under the influence. Messina was hired the following month.

Her three-year contract, which runs through June 2028, provides a $350,000 annual base salary, along with $60 per month for a work cellphone, $15,000 for moving to the Bay Area, and up to another $10,000 for relocation-related expenses. Per the Chronicle, the agreement also includes an optional annual fringe-benefit allowance capped at the amount available to other full-time managers.

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