San Mateo, CA — San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD) has concluded civil litigation stemming from a lawsuit filed in February 2023 against construction professionals who allegedly provided undisclosed gifts and benefits, including luxury sports and concert tickets, travel, and personal home improvements, to former Chancellor Ron Galatolo in exchange for directing campus construction contracts to their firms. The case settled with the final remaining defendant as trial was set to begin, bringing total recoveries to over $20 million across all named defendants. 

The defendants in the case (San Mateo Superior Court Case No. 23-00631) were Allana Buick & Bers Inc., Robert A. Bothman Construction, BCA Architects & Engineers, and McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. 

“This outcome reinforces the District’s unwavering commitment to protecting public funds entrusted to us by our taxpayers,” said SMCCCD Trustee John Pimentel. 

“This case involved a serious breach of the public’s trust,” said Niall McCarthy of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, which represented the District. “We hope this result sends a clear message that everyone must play by the rules when dealing with public contracts.” 

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Media Contacts: 
David McLain, Community & Government Relations, SMCCCD — (650) 730-8049 or mclaind@smccd.edu Niall McCarthy, Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy — (650) 697-6000 

About San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD): SMCCCD operates three colleges, Cañada College, College of San Mateo, and Skyline College, that provide community college educational services to the residents of San Mateo County. The District’s colleges serve over 30,000 students annually and offer the first two years of college-level instruction in various transfer and career-technical programs. The District is governed by a six-member Board of Trustees, with five voting members elected by voters from designated areas of the County and one nonvoting student member elected by students. For more information, see smccd.edu.