Letter to the Editor: Let investigative process play out in Ventura County
Dear Editor,
It’s been almost two weeks since the public was made aware that the CEO of Ventura County had abruptly retired. As an elected trustee to the Ventura Community College District Board, I am familiar with personnel investigations and critical whistleblower accusations and the process of an outside, independent investigation.
I believe this investigation was still in progress. However, because a confidential draft report was leaked to the press, the process was circumvented and determinations were made by the public on social media, which seems to be the intended outcome.
I have been subjected to all types of inappropriate behavior by men in professional environments, and though it has gotten better, it is a real problem. I still don’t subscribe to believing absolutely anyone on either side without question. It’s just too dangerous and it is why we have unbiased processes to determine the truth. I am concerned about the circumvention of a full investigation as the result of what could be a single individual’s actions.
Who do the Board of Supervisors trust now as they make decisions for our county’s future? If a single person has the power to derail a process needed to be just to all parties, then what do we have?
The investigative process is put in place to protect all, including victims. Our Board of Supervisors need to feel confident in their outside investigators and few insiders that had access to this report. Without that, their abilities are compromised, and so are the rest of us.
We are recovering from so much here in our region. Having a crisis of confidence will have an ongoing detrimental effect that county leadership cannot afford.
Dianne McKay
Thousand Oaks, CA
