California's open meetings law requires that public bodies deliberate in properly noticed public meetings so the public can observe how decisions are made.
The Ralph M. Brown Act (California Government Code §§ 54950–54963) requires that all meetings of a legislative body of a local agency be open and public. The law applies to school district boards of education.
A "meeting" under the Brown Act is broadly defined. It includes any gathering in person or through electronic means where a majority of board members discuss, deliberate, or take action on items of public business.
Section 54952.2(b) addresses serial communications specifically. It prohibits a majority of a legislative body from using "a series of communications" including emails, texts, or calls to collectively discuss public business outside a properly noticed meeting, even when no single communication involves a majority of the board.
The law states:
"A majority of the members of a legislative body shall not, outside a meeting authorized by this chapter, use a series of communications of any kind, directly or through intermediaries, to discuss, deliberate, or take action on any item of business that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the legislative body."California Government Code § 54952.2(b)(1)
This is commonly referred to as a "daisy chain" where Member A communicates with Member B, who then communicates with Member C, and so on, until a majority has collectively discussed the same item of public business. Each individual communication may involve only two people, but together they constitute a meeting under the law.
Public business includes any matter within the subject matter jurisdiction of the board budget decisions, school closures, contracts, personnel, and policy. Pre-decisional research, strategy discussions, and vote-counting on pending agenda items are all covered.
The Brown Act was enacted in 1953 specifically to prevent public bodies from making decisions before the public meeting takes place. The Legislature's finding: "The people of this State do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know." (Gov. Code § 54950)
Brown Act violations can be challenged in court. A district attorney, the Attorney General, or any interested person may seek to invalidate actions taken in violation of the Act. Courts may also require remedial open sessions and can award attorney's fees to prevailing plaintiffs.
↗ California Government Code § 54952.2 full text ↗ Colorado Boulevard: Inside the PUSD Consolidation Plan, May 11, 2026