Furtado

Debra Ann Furtado appeals from the trial court’s denial of her motion seeking a writ of mandate. Furtado contended in the trial court, and contends on appeal, that the Board of Trustees of the Sierra Joint Community College District violated the Ralph M. Brown Act (Brown Act) by meeting in closed session and voting not to reemploy her. We disagree, and affirm the judgment.

Factual and Procedural Background

Sierra Community College hired Furtado on July 1, 1991, as assistant dean of the library. Although Furtado received positive evaluations of her work during the first year of her employment, her evaluations, by her own description, “plummeted” the second year. When Furtado was next evaluated, she was terminated from her position.

After her dismissal, Furtado became a contract employee working as a librarian at Sierra Community College’s Rocklin campus. The faculty evaluation committee evaluated Furtado on February 11, 1997, and recommended against renewal of her contract. Furtado detailed in writing her objections to the committee’s report. On February 13, 1997, Superintendent-President Kevin Ramirez notified Furtado that he agreed with the committee’s report and…