Board in second closed session over current leadership after faculty, staff defend interim president
An audit looking into the possibility that at least $12 million was misused for hundreds of projects and personal gain over the course of two decades has been turned over to the L.A. County District Attorney’s office, College of the Canyons’ legal counsel announced after the COC board came out of a closed session during Wednesday’s meeting.
No reportable action on the closed-session item regarding the audit was taken, according to COC’s counsel. The item was on the closed-session agenda for the board to discuss possible significant exposure to litigation, and the internal audit findings have been submitted to the District Attorney’s Office for further review, Sherman Wong, an attorney with Public Agency Law Group, said after that closed session ended.
“The internal audit identified potential violations of law,” Wong said, adding that counsel for the district met with the District Attorney’s Office in July to present the internal audit findings.
“The District Attorney’s Office has informed the college district that to protect the integrity of its review, no information will be provided,” he said.
In a second closed session on the same night, after the board’s regular business meeting concluded, the board was discussing a separate agenda item regarding the potential discipline or removal of a public employee, widely believed by observers, faculty and staff to be in reference to interim President David Andrus.
That closed session was ongoing as of press time Wednesday night.
The Santa Clarita Community College District board of trustees, which oversees COC, unanimously voted during a special meeting in November for a third-party auditing firm to further investigate the potential misuse of public funds that is believed to have occurred during the tenure of former Chancellor Dianne Van Hook, who was removed from the position in July 2024.
Andrus, who was appointed as an interim replacement for Van Hook until a permanent replacement could be hired, was the first to call for an internal 20-year forensic audit of the college’s finances and its billing practices and shared a presentation with the board in November that indicated $12 million was possibly misused among 700 projects between 2000 and 2019.
Of the $12 million that was identified, $8 million was for contracting fees and $4 million was for consulting fees, according to Jessica Ehrlich, a partner at F3 Law, who spoke about the findings to the board in November.
The meeting on Wednesday also saw a large presence of faculty and staff gathered to object to the possible removal of Andrus as interim president of the campus.
Eric Harnish, COC vice president of communications, said approximately 200 people filled room 258 in the COC University Center before the first closed session of the meeting.
The crowd was comprised mostly of faculty and staff who were there to show opposition to the possible removal of Andrus and to voice their displeasure with board members Sharlene Johnson and Fred Arnold. About 17 public comments, mostly in support of Andrus, were given by faculty during public comment Wednesday afternoon before the first closed session.
During their own meetings those groups held the day before the board of trustees meeting, about 114 classified employees and about 100 faculty members voted in favor of keeping Andrus in charge and issuing a vote of no confidence in Johnson and Arnold, according to the resolutions they approved.
“This decision was not made lightly, but reflects serious concerns raised by Senate members regarding governance issues, many of which had already been brought to the board for improvement,” said the resolution approved by members of the classified staff.
“Senate members further perceive that Trustees Johnson and Arnold have not demonstrated sufficient competence of developed adequate understanding of college operations of shared governance, nor has the Senate gained confidence in their ability to credibly lead the college board and permanent CEO search,” the resolution added.
The resolution added that Andrus has spearheaded efforts to remodel shared governance, ensuring classified voices are included in decision-making, while also holding multiple meetings and dedicating significant energy to implementing improvements.
Andrus took the podium during the president’s report section of the agenda, something he doesn’t usually do, he said.
He took a moment to gather himself as he became emotional and then addressed campus climate, and said, “We can all be frustrated with each other, and I think tonight is probably one of the most significant moments of my life, but at this college because of everybody that came here, because they care about the district, the students and they want everyone to know the community.
“No matter what the outcomes are of this meeting,” he added, “this college is doing so well. It’s not perfect, I am not perfect at all, but I know I’m trying to do the best job I can.”
