College Board Approves $2.7 Million Romali Settlement
Long Beach Community College District trustees voted 4-0 to resolve a retaliation lawsuit brought by former superintendent-president Reagan Romali.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Administration
The Long Beach Community College District Board of Trustees approved a $2.7 million settlement with former superintendent-president Reagan Romali, who sued over her 2020 firing. Romali agreed to dismiss her claims against the remaining defendants with prejudice.
Why it matters
Romali alleged she was fired two days after being publicly identified as a whistleblower for reporting trustees Uduak-Joe Ntuk and Vivian Malauulu to the Long Beach Police Department over suspected public corruption. Trustees Ntuk and Vivian Malauulu denied wrongdoing, and the district argued performance concerns predated her whistleblower complaint.
The board approved the settlement in a 4-0 vote, with Board President Uduak-Joe Ntuk absent and recused, while the case remains tied to Los Angeles County Superior Court Case No. 24STCV14190.
The players
Reagan Romali
Former superintendent-president of the Long Beach Community College District who alleges she was fired in retaliation for whistleblowing, and whose attorney says she hopes to return to a college presidency.
Uduak-Joe Ntuk
Board President of the Long Beach Community College District, who was absent from the settlement vote and recused himself, and who denies the allegations against him.
Vivian Malauulu
Long Beach Community College District trustee named by Romali as a subject of her misconduct report, who denies wrongdoing.
Long Beach Police Department
Local law enforcement agency that received Romali's report of suspected public corruption involving trustees.
The details
Romali filed her 2021 claim alleging trustees persuaded the board to launch a retaliatory investigation that led to her termination, and she later sued in Los Angeles County Superior Court in June 2024. The district's Nov. 4 meeting agenda listed the lawsuit for closed-session discussion before the settlement was approved.
Timeline
March 2020: Romali was publicly identified as a whistleblower and fired two days later.
2021: Romali filed a claim seeking $10 million in damages.
June 2024: Romali filed suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Nov. 4: The district agenda listed the lawsuit for closed-session discussion.
Legal Context
Public-sector whistleblower retaliation claims in California often turn on whether adverse actions followed protected disclosures closely in time, the pattern alleged here, where Romali was fired two days after being publicly identified. Cases like this can be costly to litigate, and this one has already exceeded $1 million in legal fees before settlement.
Students and staff at the Long Beach Community College District will see the settlement's financial impact on district budgets, given the $2.7 million payment and more than $1 million already spent on litigation. The approval closes the Romali claims against the remaining defendants, so the matter is no longer pending before the board.
The takeaway
Public institutions facing whistleblower retaliation claims can incur substantial legal costs even before a case reaches trial, and settlements often arrive after years of litigation. Readers following governance disputes can track board agendas, which list closed-session litigation items before votes.
Further reading
For more on how college leadership and governance decisions are made, see Administration coverage in Long Beach.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Patch.
