LACCD Seeks Delay on Latest Pinner Lawsuit

The ongoing legal battle surrounding the Valley Academic & Cultural Center continues.

By Star Eisenberg, Editor-in-Chief

The $100 million VACC building sits dormant on the north side of campus after construction began in 2016.  (Milan Rafaelov for The Valley Star).

The Los Angeles Community College District is seeking to delay arbitration until the completion of the Valley Academic and Cultural Center, amidst escalating tensions with Pinner Construction over a multimillion dollar wrongful termination lawsuit.

“Pinner is in the process of putting together additional claims based on delays occurring at the project between December 14, 2023, and our last day of the project which was March 8, so those are in process,” said Pinner Construction’s Chief Administrative Officer Newt Kellam.

Kellam stated on April 15 that the LACCD has sought to delay arbitration until the completion of building work in the fall of 2025.  However, the arbitration company informed LACCD that unless they can get a court to issue a stay order, the $30 million in claims needs to go forward.

The termination process, as stipulated in the contract, mandates several steps before binding arbitration, including mandatory meetings and mediation.  However, LACCD missed the April 8 deadline to respond to Pinner Construction’s wrongful termination claim.

According to Kellam, Pinner Construction received a request from LACCD to create a work plan for 3,400 items and offered to provide the plan within a more achievable time frame.  However, the contract was terminated.  

Kellam also stated that LACCD did not complete the design of five major components over a span of approximately 2700 days: audiovisual hardware and software, a Lula Lift handicap elevator, sound panel attachments, hollow metal door frames, and essential upgrades for water pressure in the central plant. LACCD declined to comment on this information.

Pinner completed 99.12 percent of its contract work as of the termination date, according to Kellam.

“There’s no reason that those 3,400 items had to be done before the fall of 2025 because they can’t occupy the building,” said Kellam.  “It was just another act of bad faith trying to, frankly, put Pinner out of business.”

Pinner Construction’s contract termination is part of an ongoing feud with LACCD.  Dating back to 2022, Pinner sued over alleged overspending and racketeering.

The district ended its contract with Pinner on March 8, and Pinner filed a multimillion dollar suit against the LACCD 10 days later.

BuildLACCD is LACCD’s $14.9 billion capital improvement program funded by five voter-approved bond measures.  The $14.9 billion largely comes from four voter-approved bond measures: 2001 (Proposition A: $1.245 billion), 2003 (Proposition AA: $980 million) 2008 (Measure J: $3.5 billion), and 2016 (Measure CC: $3.3 billion), and 2022 (Measure LA: $5.3 billion).  Once funds are secured, LACCD solicits bids from eligible contractors to complete designated projects. 

The procurement process ensures fairness by soliciting bids from eligible contractors and evaluating them based on predetermined criteria, such as qualifications, price, and experience.  This is intended to help prevent favoritism or bias and ensure that contracts are awarded fairly to the most qualified bidder.  

“The District’s priority to the 250,000 students and the taxpayers is to deliver quality facility and infrastructure projects that are transforming how we teach, learn and impact the overall student experience,”  according to an email sent Friday by LACCD’s Director of Communications and Marketing Juliet Hidalgo.  “LACCD is proud to have delivered almost 800 bond funded projects to date and remains committed to delivering the Valley Academic and Cultural Center for the students at Los Angeles Valley College.  Due to the ongoing contractual dispute, claims and litigation, we decline to comment.”