Since March 22, almost every conversation about Brian Calhoun, 69, education instructor at Fresno City College, has centered on his physical altercation with a 19-year-old student in the hallway of the second floor of the Old Administration Building.

Calhoun, on paid administrative leave and facing charges of assault and battery, awaits the college’s decision on his penalty, including whether he can return to his job, when and how.

Calhoun now faces trial for the damages he allegedly caused against Kevynn Gomez in the assault and battery he is charged with. He is scheduled to appear in court in June.

Records and news reports demonstrate that Calhoun’s extensive record is a blend of good and not-so-good, of selflessness and callousness, of compassion and of recklessness, a very complex man.

Calhoun, 25 years old in 1968, served as a U.S. Army Military Intelligence Officer during the Vietnam War. After two years in the army, he received a discharge and then moved on to Racine, Wis, where he served on several boards including the Racine Education Roundtable; the Racine County Opportunity Center and the Greater Racine United Way.

From 1984-1988, he continued his work in Illinois, serving at Triton College as the Dean of Continuing Education and then the Dean of Business.

Calhoun arrived in Fresno, Calif in 1988. He developed the Fresno City College Training Institute and served as its executive director for eight years. For four years afterwards, he was the principal instructor for the teacher and Teacher Aide/paraeducator program.

His service extended beyond the college. He has been a member of Citizens for Integrity in Government; chair of the International Trade Committee for the Fresno Chamber of Commerce, steering committee for Valley Children’s Hospital Kids Day and a member of the San Joaquin River Parkway.

Most notably, from 2000-2008, Calhoun served as a member of the Fresno City Council.

Calhoun had received endorsements from the Fresno Police Officer’s Association who described Calhoun as a person “who has placed the public safety as his highest priority while maintaining balance with other city needs.”

For all his accomplishments, however, Calhoun has not been able to avoid controversy.

During his years on the council, Calhoun was applauded for positions he took on budget issues but condemned for a lack of tolerance towards the disadvantaged.

According to a story on KSEE24.com, Councilman Calhoun once proposed a ban on panhandling in the center median by “individuals that often times are homeless, . . . that have mental illness addicted to drugs or alcohol” because of the danger those individuals posed to themselves and motorists. His position was widely rejected and the proposal was dropped.

Also, on the night of his reelection to the Fresno City Council in 2004, Calhoun was arrested for drunken driving. According to a story from The Los Angeles Times, Calhoun told Fresno police he had not been drinking when they stopped him. However, he failed several field sobriety tests and was taken to University Medical Center for an alcohol blood test where a blood test showed he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.21 percent.

Through his lawyer, Calhoun pleaded guilty to drunken driving and for carrying an open container of alcohol in his car and was sentenced to nine days of community service, three years probation and a $1,500 fine. He had to attend three months of classes for DUI offenders.

At times Calhoun has also let his anger get the best of him.

“When you’re working with six other people and a mayor and a city manager, you have to watch your tongue and sometimes my tongue got ahead of my brain,” Calhoun admitted during his final appearance as city council member in 2008.

Through all his ups and downs, Calhoun has received a mixed appraisal from his colleagues and students.

Larry Miller, former member of the San Joaquin Valley Rail Committee, said he had served with Calhoun on rail committees. Miller described Calhoun as an “uppity, rude city councilman.”

In contrast, Jacqui Barney who took an education class with Calhoun in 2004, remembers him as a great teacher who inspired his student.

“I really liked him. He was a fun teacher and made teaching and learning so much fun and enjoyable. I looked forward to going to his class,” said Barney.

She remembers days that Calhoun would come to class dressed in a kilt in honor of his Irish heritage.

“I had to give a speech in front of the class one day and he was wearing a kilt. It was Irish day or something related,” said Barney. “Every time I looked out over the class, I saw him sitting in the back, and I thought my teacher, wearing a kilt, is grading my speech performance. I ended up getting an A for it, but it was definitely memorable for me.”

She adds that Calhoun was always kind and never lost his temper with any of the students.

“He went out of his way to help me a few times,” said Barney.

Calhoun rarely talked about his personal life with the students, but he sometimes brought up his days in the city council.

“He seemed to like it, but wanted more time with his wife,” said Barney. “He was always and will be one of my favorite teachers.”

Calhoun was born in Tucson, Ariz. in 1943 where he lived until the age of 2 while his father worked in a military airport tower.

In 1945, Calhoun moved to California and attended public schools in Sacramento, Castro Valley, Palo Alto, and Tahoe City. He received his bachelor’s degree in history and political science from the University of California, Davis.

Calhoun moved to New York in 1966 and received a master’s degree from Syracuse University in student personnel administration. Also while in New York, Calhoun married.

His children Bryce and Whitney were born in Wisconsin while he was doing his doctorate degree in educational policy studies from the University of Wisconsin.

He believed that he made a difference as a member of the Fresno City Council. “We have significantly improved public safety,” he said. “The citizens of this city are much safer today, crime, fire. That’s been a huge, huge improvement.”

He loved the public life in the city council, and when he was termed out, he ran unsuccessfully for the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. Of his days in the council, he was quoted in a KMPH story as saying, “It’s been an exciting ride. It’s been eight years. Most of it’s been wonderful. The city’s moved forward.”