Dr. Dianne Van Hook, the pioneering Chancellor who led College of the Canyons for 36 years, has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the Santa Clarita Community College District.

Van Hook was placed on administrative leave by the Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees in July 2024 after weeks of closed-door sessions by the board. She announced her retirement less than two weeks later.

The board voted unanimously, 3-0, to place Van Hook on administrative leave. The three board members present were Edel Alonso, Joan MacGregor and Jerry Danielsen. Board member Sebastian Cazares was not present. The fifth seat on the college board was vacant after Chuck Lyon resigned in June 2024.

Van Hook was replaced by Interim President David Andrus, former president of the COC Academic Senate. The Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees voted in September to place Andrus on paid administrative leave. Current Trustees Fred Arnold, Sharlene Johnson and Darlene Trevino, elected in November of 2024 after the ouster of Van Hook, voted in favor of the termination. Edel Alonso voted against and Carlos Guerrero abstained.

Dr. Jasmine Ruys, assistant superintendent/vice president of student services at COC, is the acting superintendent/president at College of the Canyons.

In October 2024, Van Hook filed wrongful termination and California Department of Fair Employment and Housing claims against the Santa Clarita Community College District.

During her nearly four-decade tenure, Van Hook transformed COC into a nationally recognized institution of higher learning, hiring over 1,000 employees, establishing hallmark programs such as the Academy of the Canyons, the University Center, the Culinary Institute and the Performing Arts Center.

Under her leadership, she created a college-going culture and a commitment to workforce development and partnerships with businesses. COC went from being know as “College of the Crayons” to one of California’s top community colleges recognized at the state and national levels, receiving six full accreditations and numerous commendations.

Van Hook also led many statewide organizations and was repeatedly honored for her service and excellence.

COC received clear audits for over 30 years. Van Hook was specifically chosen to lead numerous statewide initiatives to the benefit of students and the communities the college served.

During her 36-year tenure, the district successfully passed three bond measures to build out the Valencia campus and establish a campus in Canyon Country, navigate through six recessions, an earthquake, fires, the COVID pandemic and did so without ever eliminating a program, a service, or laying off any full-time staff during those 36 years.

The lawsuit alleges that Van Hook was forced to resign under threat of losing all her contract benefits, including her retirement and a set-aside for health benefits upon retirement, following her placement on “administrative leave.”

No substantive reasons were given to her for why she was being placed on “administrative leave” but comments were made during the public session of board meetings that the action was being taken because of the select anonymous results from a Campus Climate Survey.

Van Hook claims the then COC board used the survey against her despite the district knowing and admonishing that the Campus Climate Survey results were not to be used in any employment decision. The survey was conducted in the spring of 2024 and was open to all employees of the college. Results showed 81% of respondents said they felt welcome at the college and 19% did not.

The district’s writings to Van Hook failed to state the reasons for placing her on “administrative leave.” Those writings indicated there was no cause for the action and there was no basis for placing her on this “administrative leave,” a move Van Hook’s attorney claims was not only unlawful but executed without explanation or due process.

The legal action further alleges that at the time of her removal, Van Hook had a valid employment contract extending through the end of 2027.

That agreement stipulated that she could only be removed in accordance with California law. According to the lawsuit, the district violated this agreement by placing her on leave without cause, denying her access to due process protections, denying her the due process afforded to tenured faculty, breaching contract provisions, laws, administrative procedures, board policies, accreditation standards and standards for effective trusteeship.

The lawsuit details how, despite her record of exemplary service and consistent high-performance evaluations, Van Hook was placed on “administrative leave” without explanation, an opportunity to discuss the board’s contemplated action with the board before being placed on “administrative leave” and prevented from contesting their decision. Prior to even being officially notified, she was denied access to her office, locked out of her emails and monitored by security personnel and one of the trustees.

Van Hook was not allowed to inventory nor identify her personal belongings maintained in COC’s external storage facilities that were accumulated over 36 years.

The District has yet to forward her mail or email correspondence.

Van Hook was not treated like others who were previously subject to employment actions by the district. Aside from not knowing why this was happening, Van Hook was not given an exit interview nor given the courtesies afforded to someone in her position or any other employee leaving the district.

Former district employees were treated with more respect than Van Hook.

Her lawsuit also states the district failed to provide her complete personnel file within the timeframe required under California Labor Code, further violating her legal rights.

The lawsuit seeks over $3 million in damages for breach of contract, discrimination under the Fair Housing and Employment Act, lost compensation and benefits, emotional distress and attorney fees. It also alleges violations of her civil rights under the California Bane Act, the creation of a hostile work environment and failure to adhere to statutory due process.

Jeffrey Hacker, Partner at Adamski, Moroski, Madden, Cumberland and Green, LLP, who represents Dr. Van Hook, has issued the following statment:

“Typically, I do not like to comment on pending litigation. However, COC’s treatment of Dr. Van Hook was not only outrageous but unconscionable. They kicked her to the curb, without explanation or allowing her to know or question why. Dr. Van Hook was responsible for the Academy of the Canyons, the University Center, the Culinary Institute and the Performing Arts Center. Dr Van Hook earned the respect as one of, if not, the premier community college CEOs in California. She earned and deserved much better treatment from COC. We look forward to having her vindicated by a jury.”