What’s the Real Point of This Lawsuit?

What next??

Well… for one thing, a group of Wake County citizens filed a lawsuit against the Wake County Board of Education yesterday. The plaintiffs are accusing the Board of violating the state Open Meetings Law at their March 23rd Board meetings. There was no way that everyone who wanted to could fit into the room where those meetings are always held, so it was announced ahead of time that tickets would have to be given out.

It is my understanding that a larger facility was offered free of charge to the Board, but by the time that offer came through that day, there was no way that a last-second change could be made. Besides being a logistical nightmare, such a move would have been grossly unfair to folks who showed up at the regular meeting spot only to find that no one was there.

Oh - did I mention that the March 23 meeting was when a preliminary vote on a new school assignment policy passed? The plaintiffs were all opposed to that community-based schools resolution. Now they are pulling out all stops to try and delay a final vote on the matter.

Ideas for the new plan have been made public, and there is nothing “evil” there. Things to question? Yes – and they should be. I can certainly understand the concerns that some people have, but to resort to a lawsuit as a means to slow down work on those plans because they don’t match the plaintiffs’ opinions? Really.

I have attended the Board meetings that were crowded. The rudeness, disrespect, and uncivil actions were appalling. The Board has done nothing wrong by holding their meetings in the usual place, and they have already mentioned the possibility of moving the May meeting to a larger venue. That’s up to them. No matter where they meet, I hope Chairman Margiotta won’t be as gracious as he has been with those who disrupt the meetings. Wake County citizens elected most of those Board members (some were appointed) to carry out the business of tending to our students’ education. Groups or individuals who stand in the way of matters being discussed by yelling and interjecting ugly comments to the point that business has to halt because members (much less those in attendance) can’t even hear each other – or by acting in other immature and disruptive ways, need to be escorted out.

Here’s a link to the lawsuit: 

http://media2.newsobserver.com/smedia/2010/05/06/14/File_Stamped_Complaint.source.prod_affiliate.156.pdf