From a December 11, 2012, Idaho Statesman (Associated Press) article headlined Records show Blackfoot school board tried to hide payout, we learn that the Blackfoot, Idaho, school board tried to hide two payments of about $105,428 each to buy out the contract of one of its teachers. Not only did school board members conspire to violate Idaho’s public records law by burying the nondisclosure agreement in the teacher’s personnel jacket so it would be exempt from disclosure as a “personnel matter,” but the board met twice in illegal executive sessions to discuss how to complete their deception.
Fortunately, the 6th District Court has a judge, David Nye, who follows Idaho law. He correctly ruled that it was public money being spent for the buyout, so the public was entitled to know about it.
No, none of the Blackfoot school board members will be criminally prosecuted. Thanks to Idaho’s “Hold no public officials accountable” Legislature and Attorney General’s Office, all the school board has to do is find a way to “cure” the illegal actions they took.
They just have to remember to be more clever next time they want to violate the law. It’s the Idaho way.
Unfortunately, the most recent amendments (destruction) to the open meeting law have the effect you describe. Now they have 14 days to figure out how to void the illegal decisions, the failure of which has no punishment. The AG and his cohorts in the media pushed this so called reform.
Comment by Gary Ingram — December 12, 2012 @ 10:59 am
I know, when they refer to “the cure” it’s like they are dealing with an STD. I remember this from the public record’s workshop the AG’s office – an Idahoans for Openness Government did last year in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Very poor game of semantics and is laughable.
Comment by Stebbijo — December 12, 2012 @ 6:00 pm