As most of you know, I'm a fierce (and feared) member of OMLET (the Open Meeting Law Enforcement Team). Pursuant to those duties, I investigate citizen complaints about open meeting law violations. The deal is that you have to investigate the complaints that come in while you're the duty officer. I've been the duty officer twice this year already and I'm DONE for the year now. But, in the meantime, I have to investigate the 9 complaints that unfortunately came in while I was on duty.
One of these complaints involved an allegation that a local school district governing board had a "meeting" outside of their noticed public meetings. Namely at a teacher's convention in Chicago. Now a "meeting" has an official definition in the open meeting law. To have a meeting, you need to have a quorum where board members discuss official business. I investigated and...yes...a quorum of the board had dinner together while they were all at that convention in Chicago....but there was no evidence that any official business was discussed. Noting the lack of evidence, I sent out a letter finding that I was unable to substantiate that an open meeting law violation had occurred but outlining recommendations or "best practices" about how to avoid those situations when the board is all together like that. I had to acknowledge, however, that it was reasonable for these board members to have dinner together in an out-of-state city. I mean...really.
Anyway, I sent off that letter to the school board two weeks ago and I sent a courtesy copy of my letter to the complainant. This afternoon I got a call from the complainant telling me that "I was destroying the lives of children in that school district because now the board is going to meet all the time outside of their noticed public meeting schedule." I remained silent (what do you say to that?) He continued. "Your decision is bad and you've essentially destroyed open meeting law in this state. This is going to be read in every board across the country and they are going to violate the law all the time because of you." Silence. "You probably didn't have any evidence but it was still a bad decision." Good point on the no evidence thingy and bad point on it still being a bad decision, I think to myself. "That's all I have to say." "Thank you." "Thank you for listening to me." Click.
So....I'm not sure if you realize this but my letters finding (or not finding) open meeting law violations are far reaching and can easily destroy the lives of innocents. The only reason most of you are still alive is because I choose to let you live. My letters may even affect the climate....
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