Trinity board members deny Sunshine Law violation
Two Trinity School Board members say there was no violation of the Sunshine Law when they voted on several personnel issues last week.
Several people in the community, including board member Gerald Chambers, questioned whether the board violated state law when it hired a new solicitor, an acting superintendent and a consultant.
Chambers questioned why the three were at the meeting if they didn’t know ahead of time that they were going to be hired.
The Sunshine Law states that decisions must be made in public meetings not behind closed doors. But what about presumptive board members who are not yet seated? Four members were seated for their first Trinity meeting last week.
Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, said it doesn’t violate any law for prospective members to meet before they are seated. Many newly elected agency members meet ahead of time with good intentions, she said.
“But I think they are jumping the gun,” Melewsky said, adding they have to be careful they are not violating the purpose of the law because it can create barriers to public input.
Several people in the community, including board member Gerald Chambers, questioned whether the board violated state law when it hired a new solicitor, an acting superintendent and a consultant.
Chambers questioned why the three were at the meeting if they didn’t know ahead of time that they were going to be hired.
The Sunshine Law states that decisions must be made in public meetings not behind closed doors. But what about presumptive board members who are not yet seated? Four members were seated for their first Trinity meeting last week.
Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, said it doesn’t violate any law for prospective members to meet before they are seated. Many newly elected agency members meet ahead of time with good intentions, she said.
“But I think they are jumping the gun,” Melewsky said, adding they have to be careful they are not violating the purpose of the law because it can create barriers to public input.
Labels: Trinity and the Sunshine Law
posted by Dawn Keller at
2:33 PM
3 Comments:
Just because it's legal doesn't make it right! I'm not even questioning the people they hired. I am questioning the board. Did the board look at anyone else for the positions ? If not, that doesn't sound very thorough to me. I feel like everything is being rammed down my throat. If it's all legal the laws need to be changed. Things need to be fair and open. I don't even like the idea of a school board. You don't have to know anything about education to be on the board and in the overwhelming majority of cases school board members have no training or experience in education, yet they are making the decisions. Our legislatures need to protect us from all the abuses we are open to at the hands of the school board. For crying out loud these are our children and our future we are talking about !
People need to know that all that it takes to become a school board member is 10 signatures on a piece of paper (20 if you cross file). You must then get enough votes. Other than that, there are no specific skills, education, or training involved- none. Any idiot can be a school board director. Many times its an idiot with an ax to grind. To bad for Trinity, but remember- you elected them.
Here's a question? If the same situation exists around budget time, can they simply meet before being seated, then pass a budget without discussion and public input?
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