school boards Archives - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

2 May, 2024

Carter County school board leaves off its agenda its vote to close elementary school
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Carter County school board leaves off its agenda its vote to close elementary school

adequate public notice, school boards

Carter County school board leaves off its agenda its vote to close elementary school

By Deborah Fisher|2024-05-02T15:02:05-05:00May 2, 2024|Categories: adequate public notice, school boards|Tags: adequate notice, agendas, Carter County, special called meeting|0 Comments

The Carter County School Board voted 6-1 to close an elementary school in a special called meeting on April 25, but didn't let the public know in advance in its meeting notice. This likely violates the law's requirements for public notice for special called meetings, which requires a governing body to reasonably describe the purpose of the meeting and the action to be taken. The school board's notice had only one action item: to adopt the next year's budget.

23 Jun, 2022

Non-disparagement clause violates free-speech rights of Nashville school board members, court says
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Non-disparagement clause violates free-speech rights of Nashville school board members, court says

First Amendment, school boards

Non-disparagement clause violates free-speech rights of Nashville school board members, court says

By Deborah Fisher|2022-06-23T10:38:18-05:00June 23, 2022|Categories: First Amendment, school boards|Tags: Amy Frogge, censorship, Daniel Horwitz, First Amendment, Fran Bush, free speech, Jill Speering, Metro Nashville school board, school boards, Shawn Joseph|0 Comments

A school board's agreement to not say anything disparaging about a director of schools it fired violates the First Amendment free speech rights of school board members, the Tennessee Court of Appeals ruled in a case upholding a lower court's decision.

26 Jul, 2015

Williamson County commissioners hold private meetings to interview school board replacement

By Deborah Fisher|2015-08-18T07:49:58-05:00July 26, 2015|Categories: Open Meetings, school boards|Tags: Franklin Home Page, Gregg Lawrence, Johnston v. Metro. Gov't of Nashville, Kathy Danner, Knoxville News Sentinel v. Knox County Commission, private meetings, Robert Cook, Tennessee Open Meetings Act, The Tennessean, Williamson County, Williamson County Commission Commission, Williamson County School Board|1 Comment

Two Williamson County commissioners are holding private meetings with candidates to decide who should fill an open position on the Williamson County School Board, but the county commission attorney says their meetings do not violate the Open Meetings Act, according to two stories by media outlets. The Tennessean: Williamson Schools candidate raises transparency concerns Franklin Home Page: Opinions vary on transparency of school board candidate vetting Williamson County Commissioner Kathy Danner Williamson County Commissioner Gregg Lawrence The two commissioners, Kathy Danner and Gregg Lawrence, are responsible for jointly deciding who should fill the remainder of the term of a board member who is leaving. The practice in the past has [...]

9 Apr, 2014

Commercial Appeal reports possible open meetings violations by a charter school
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Commercial Appeal reports possible open meetings violations by a charter school

adequate public notice, school boards

Commercial Appeal reports possible open meetings violations by a charter school

By Deborah Fisher|2019-09-11T16:17:10-05:00April 9, 2014|Categories: adequate public notice, school boards|Tags: charter school, Memphis, open meetings violation, Tennessee Open Meetings Act, The Commerical Appeal|1 Comment

The Commercial Appeal reports today on possible open meetings violations by a charter school, the Memphis Academy of Health Sciences. The potential violations came during two meetings, one in which the charter school board voted to make board chairman Derrick Joyce the interim executive director. Board member Dionysia Smith-Richardson told The Commercial Appeal that there was not public notice of the two board meetings in January, including one called as a special emergency board meeting, and they were not held in compliance with the Tennessee Open Meetings Act. Public charter schools by law are subject to the Tennessee Open Meetings Act, which requires adequate public notice of meetings. Smith-Richardson also [...]

14 Mar, 2014

Greene County school board chairman apologizes over TV camera ban

By Deborah Fisher|2015-08-18T07:55:08-05:00March 14, 2014|Categories: Open Meetings, school boards|Tags: Greene County, schools, Tennessee Open Meetings Act, tv camera ban, WJHL|1 Comment

The Greene County school board chairman apologized last night to "the board and to the public" over the TV camera ban from its public meeting last month, according to WJHL News Channel 11 and The Greeneville Sun. The board also proposed language that would change its camera policy. The policy allows the school board to prohibit cameras, including TV cameras, and is recommended by the Tennessee School Boards Association. However, an Tennessee Attorney General's opinion about banning cameras from public meetings says they should only be prohibited if they create a safety problem or disturb the orderly conduct of the meeting. Neither of those reasons was given to the WJHL [...]