The following letter was written before the Oct. 9 College of the Canyons board of trustees meeting. One of the great false narratives put forth by COC is that the board is not allowed to discuss or disclose information from closed session meetings. This is at best a half truth, not based upon case law or a reading of the Brown Act section 54963. Section 54963 of the Brown Act (government code) reads, “(a) A person may not disclose confidential information that has been acquired by being present in a closed session authorized by section … 54957 … to a person not entitled to receive it, unless the legislative body authorizes disclosure of that confidential information.” On Sept. 22, I sent a request to the trustees, as is my right under the Education Code 35145.5 and their own Board Policy 2340, to place an item on the Oct. 9 agenda to take a public vote to disclose the confidential information. I checked the agenda for (the Oct. 9) meeting and was deeply disappointed to learn that my agenda item was not honored.  The assertion of strict confidence by trustees is not absolute nor necessarily a violation of law. Case law, numerous legal opinions and the Brown Act indicate that confidentiality of information discussed in closed session must be balanced with the public’s right to know and the trustees’ own freedom of speech. It is difficult to trust our government leaders, especially when they refuse to fully educate the public about the rules that govern their decision-making. On July 10, 2three trustees voted to place the legendary Chancellor Dianne G. Van Hook on administrative leave following 30-plus years of service. Shortly after, Van Hook made a decision to retire. All I requested was a public vote to allow the disclosure of vital information that is being denied to the public. I urge the trustees to place this item on (their) agenda … and begin to establish their ostensible commitment to transparency. Steve Petzold Former Santa Clarita resident Douglas County, Georgia  The post Steve Petzold | Commitment to Transparency? appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.