Community College Trustee Seeks Inquiry

A college trustee has called for an investigation into possible wrongdoing by one or more of his district colleagues.

“I personally have some legal concerns and some ethics concerns for this board,” trustee Norman Nagel said during the monthly meeting of the Ventura County Community College District board Tuesday.

Avoiding specifics, Nagel suggested that the issue involved the possible release of confidential information. Though vague, he suggested that the data disclosed involved personnel, litigation matters, and labor and property negotiations.

During the open session, Nagel asked his colleagues to say whether any of them had violated confidentiality issues. That question was met with some hostility.

“I can’t quite think of the appropriate word, but there’s something about this that I don’t like,” trustee John Tallman said. “Nazi comes to mind, but that’s not exactly right. I don’t want him to do this, personally.”

Tallman and board President Allan Jacobs said they were against any investigation, but trustee Pete Tafoya agreed to one. Trustee Bob Gonzales had left the meeting early.

The board publicly struggled with Nagel’s concerns for several minutes, attempting to resolve them. But issues of confidentiality, which could not be discussed publicly, forced the meeting into closed session for nearly an hour. Raised voices could be heard down the hall.

When board members reconvened the public portion of the meeting, Chancellor Philip Westin said the board had nothing to report.

But Nagel confirmed Wednesday that Westin had agreed to a district investigation, which will be concluded before the next meeting March 9.

Gonzales said Wednesday that the trustees have acted appropriately.

“These board members, as far as I’m concerned, really abide by the Brown Act,” said Gonzales, referring to the law that requires that certain subjects be discussed in public and other matters be discussed in private. “That’s what’s neat about this board; they don’t get together and talk amongst themselves.”

“It’s a situation that I think is best if I let the public record speak for itself,” Jacobs said.

Nagel’s comments, raised during the trustee issues section at the meeting, came as a surprise.

“I had no idea that anything like this was going to be raised,” said Barbara Buttner, district director of public affairs.

The results of the investigation may be disclosed only in closed session, Nagel said.