By Joyce Flores
Everyone has a fender bender from time to time.
It seems over the summer, Chancellor Bruce Leslie had a minor accident with another vehicle while returning from a Texas Association of Community Colleges summer meeting.
The incident occurred in a Jeep Grand Cherokee owned by the district.
Leslie’s contract provides for the use of a district vehicle and expenses.
“In light of the unique nature of his professional duties, the district shall provide the chancellor with an automobile for his use in connection with personal and district-related business,” the contract states.
The district’s department of public safety report states the collision happened at the Smart Financial Credit Union, 3201 W. Davis St., in Conroe.
It also states, “While backing up to leave the lot, he (Leslie) became engaged in a minor vehicle accident with O (Mary Lynn Scarborough) who was also backing up to leave.”
Scarborough’s vehicle was damaged on the left rear side while the district vehicle sustained damage to the back bumper and lift gate.
When a district vehicle needs body repair and painting, the district has the option of taking the vehicle to two vendors, Atlas Body Shop, 922 Carson St., or Brady’s Collision and Repair, 2942 E. Houston.
The Jeep was taken to Brady’s Collision and Repair to fix the sensors and the bumper. The total cost of repair was $2,538.60.Cathy Perez, office manager for Brady’s, said the district paid for the damages except for $180, which is still owed.
Perez said she has contacted accounts payable at the district but has yet to receive a check.
Attempts to contact Scarborough were unsuccessful and Leslie was out of town for the Scotland Colleges Annual Conference.
The conference was on Tuesday in Glasgow, Scotland, and featured keynote speakers from the United States, Australia and England.
Leslie was speaking on “Achieving the Dream — Working with the hard to reach.”
A schedule of events and more information can be found online at http://www.sfeu.ac.uk/annualconfrence/.
Adriana Contreras, deputy to the chancellor, said Thursday that the conference paid for Leslie’s expenses.
She said the chancellor took a few vacation days before and after the conference to visit Scotland.
When Leslie was hired in fall 2006, The Ranger reported that Leslie enjoyed playing his bagpipe and listening to Scottish and Irish music.
Journalism Instructor Napoleon Johnson from the Houston Community College System said he recalled a faculty fundraiser in which Leslie played the bagpipe and wore a Scottish kilt.
Leslie left town over the Thanksgiving weekend and will return Dec. 4.
Under the chancellor’s contract, the district must provide Leslie with two vacation days each month plus legal holidays.