Education committee recommends probation and $5,000 citation for Cababrio College over repeated program violations

The Dental Hygiene Board of California education committee voted to recommend that the full board require Cababrio College’s dental hygiene program to have the class of 2026 complete all deficient clinical hours and competencies before graduation, issue a $5,000 citation and place the program on a three‑year probationary period with quarterly reporting and announced and unannounced site visits.

Board staff told the committee that an unannounced site visit on Feb. 12, 2026 found eight violations, the most serious being that students had not completed the clinical hours and competencies the program and KOTA standards require. Dr. Adena Petty, the board’s education specialist, said staff reviewed Cababrio’s March 5 response and issued a March 18 determination but continued to receive faculty complaints and phone calls that corroborated ongoing problems.

Subject-matter expert Joanne Galliano told the committee she participated in the site visit and supported staff’s findings: “I really feel that we need this board needs to give the program director back the power and the faculty back the power that they need to be able to educate the students and to ensure that they basically can meet the requirements,” she said, summarizing conversations with faculty who reported administrative interference that hampered the program director’s ability to run the curriculum.

Cababrio College representatives disputed some characterizations and said they are taking corrective steps. Travaris Harris, vice president of instruction, said the college has replaced failing equipment, recruited faculty and allocated roughly $250,000 to program improvements. “We are committed to improving the program,” Harris said, adding the school has complied with prior deficiencies and will meet any probation reporting requirements. Program director FA Corey said she has been working to add clinics, hire full‑time faculty and schedule remediation rotations so students can make up missing sessions.

Several current and former Cababrio faculty and students addressed the committee. Former program director Heather Lawler described patterns she characterized as administrative misconduct and retaliation that led to noncompliance and urged an independent review; current students and community partners urged the board to preserve the program while ensuring students graduate competent and safe.

After discussion, the committee adopted staff’s recommended motion. The motion, as passed, requires remedial completion of deficient clinical hours and competencies before the class of 2026 may graduate; imposes a $5,000 citation (the maximum under the staff‑applied rubric); and places the program on a three‑year probationary period with quarterly reporting and potential announced and unannounced site visits. The committee recorded its roll call vote in favor; the recommendation goes to the full board for final action.

If the full board finalizes probation, regulations require the program to notify current and prospective students in writing within 15 business days. The education committee and staff said they will continue to monitor the program and bring subsequent noncompliance back to the board for possible additional action, up to withdrawal of board approval for the program if deficiencies persist.

What happens next: the committee’s recommendation will be transmitted to the full board for consideration at its next meeting; staff will continue quarterly monitoring and site visits while the program remains on probation if the board adopts the committee’s recommendation.