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Cuesta College analyst arrested

June 18, 2015

Lacey FowlerBy KAREN VELIE

UPDATE: Statement from Cuesta College, ““Cuesta College follows Education Code when hiring. There is a question in the official application that asks specifically about criminal offenses. Controlled substances and sex crimes are the only two things that a college legally cannot hire for. Cuesta College is made aware of any criminal convictions that are reported by the Department of Justice and any that the individual discloses during the application process.”

ORIGINAL: Cuesta College Police officers arrested a human resources analyst Wednesday evening on a felony charge of unlawfully accessing data.

Shortly before 9 p.m., officers arrested Lacey Fowler and booked her into the San Luis Obispo County Jail. By Thursday morning, both Lacey Fowler and her husband Chad Fowler had been released on bail.

On May 31, Lacey Fowler, who had been out on sick leave for several weeks, allegedly breached the campus data system remotely and then emailed employee names, home addresses, email addresses, phone numbers and Social Security numbers to her private email account.

Lacey Fowler has a long criminal history that includes a 2005 alcohol related reckless driving, an Aug. 2006 drunk driving, a Nov. 2006 DUI, a 2007 drug paraphernalia conviction and an arrest in 2007 for felony burglary and forgery.

In 2008, Cuesta College hired Lacey Fowler as a temporary employee.

In Nov. 2011, the 2007 felony charges were reduced to misdemeanors and then expunged. By expunging records the charges cannot be held against you, but it does not stop the release of information to public agencies.

In 2013, Cuesta College promoted Lacey Fowler to a full time employee position.

Cuesta College officials have not responded to questions about background checks and if employee applications include a question about felony convictions.

However, several campus staffers said that the application does ask if the employee has been charged with a felony and background checks are done before a person is hired or given a promotion.

Sources inside the college are saying Lacey Fowler should never have been hired.

On Thursday, officials at Cuesta College refused to answer any questions about background checks, applications for employment or Lacey Fowler instead either saying they would call back or transferring a handful of calls to random departments.

On June 11, Cuesta College Police officers and SLO District Attorney investigators searched the Paso Robles home of Lacey and Chad Fowler in response to the data breach and discovered more than four pounds of methamphetamine and heroin. The 30 acre property is owned by retired sheriff deputy Micheal Wasley, a relative of Lacey Fowler.

Campus police then called in SLO County Sheriff’s narcotics investigators to assist. Sheriff deputies arrested Chad Fowler on charges of possession of heroin for sale and possession of methamphetamine for sale, with an enhancement for possessing more than one kilo of methamphetamine.

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The hiring practices at this institution are horrible. Cronyism still runs rampant. With its poor reputation as an employer it is not surprising that this is as good as they can get in an employee.

Cuesta did a great job at fooling the public with the bond recently. The best thing that could have happened to the college would have been to shut it down during the re-accreditation debacle and started over with a new administration.


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Give her credit, at least she is consistent with her career choices! :)


Lacey Fowler has a long criminal history that includes a 2005 alcohol related reckless driving, an Aug. 2006 drunk driving, a Nov. 2006 DUI, a 2007 drug paraphernalia conviction and an arrest in 2007 for felony burglary and forgery.


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This article says… “Lacey Fowler has a long criminal history that includes a 2005 alcohol related reckless driving, an Aug. 2006 drunk driving, a Nov. 2006 DUI, a 2007 drug paraphernalia conviction and an arrest in 2007 for felony burglary and forgery.”


The article lists a “2007 drug paraphernalia conviction,” but doesn’t state whether the other crimes just charges, or additional convictions? Why would any HR department hire someone convicted of forgery???


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So, no one without a criminal past applied for that position? what a world!


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The Cuesta pool has lost 1,095,000 gallons of water over the last six months and only now that that have been caught sitting on their hands are they taking action…now this hiring and ultimate fiasco?


I wonder who Lacey Fowler knows inside Cuesta?


As a parent, would you want to send your family to get their “higher education” at this institution?


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“The Cuesta pool has lost 1,095,000 gallons of water over the last six months and only now that that have been caught sitting on their hands are they taking action”


False.


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A backround like hers why was she given access to such important information?


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Welcome to world of public servant employment,


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“…arrest in 2007 for felony burglary and forgery.” took place when she was an employee at the County of SLO. I can only assume she was terminated but then we have Cuesta College, the mismanaged failed JC of SLO found her employable. Lord only knows what other illegal activities she incurred at Cuesta since it is obvious no one is watching this hen house! Gil Stork needs to retire, trustfully, he is not a capable President! Cuesta has been a failure far too long and the mismanagement of money and education is despicable! And then we give them more money, joke is on us…


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To say that Cuesta is a “failure” is simply to make an ignorant statement.


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No, if you look at the look history at this school, the prior administrations, lawsuits, the lack of property management, the choice of cut classes and teachers, the lack financial management, the security department and their drug issues, the library history, the current pool problem, breach of employee data by a ex-felony, etc. You think this is a good managed JC – oh yea, you probably work here or you are related to someone that is (right Gil)!


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I might be wrong but compared to the picture of Lacey on the previous story (which appears to be a wedding photo), Lacey now appears to have started using meth.


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We’ve got school districts hiring child molestors (Paso) and Community Colleges hiring a drug dealer and convicted felon to a position with access to sensitive information. Comprehensive background check? You could turn this stuff up with one google search. The incompetence of all things government never ceases to amaze me.


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