State Auditor’s Office to Probe Alleged Mismanagement at Cerritos College

The state auditor’s office is set to investigate mismanagement allegations at Cerritos College in response to a unanimous vote this week by the state Joint Legislative Audit Committee.

Requested by Assemblywoman Grace Napolitano (D-Norwalk), the audit will look into accusations that officials at the Norwalk campus violated state policies regarding budgeting, conflict of interest, shared governance and student attendance reporting, state Auditor Kurt Sjoberg said.

College board President Bob Verderber pledged full cooperation with the auditors and promised to make any changes suggested by the auditors.

The decision to proceed with an audit was applauded by critics of college President Fred Gaskin, whose case gained momentum last summer when a routine audit of campus operations found the college bookstore to be in “precarious financial condition.”