Latest news with #OpenMeetingAct
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nonprofit sues Ryan Walters, library board, alleging open records and open meetings violations
An Oklahoma nonprofit already involved in multiple lawsuits against state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters has added another, alleging violations of open meeting and public records laws by Walters and the agency he leads, the Oklahoma State Department of Education. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Oklahoma County District Court by the Tulsa-based Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, alleges violations of the Open Meeting Act related to the creation and operation of the Library Media Advisory Committee, a public body tasked with reviewing school library materials. The lawsuit also contends the state agency has failed to comply with the Open Records Act by withholding requested public documents regarding the formation, membership selection and activities of the library committee. The case has been assigned to District Judge Anthony Bonner. No hearing dates have been set. During a meeting of the Oklahoma State Board of Education in January 2024, Walters disclosed the formation of the committee, a panel he said would include Chaya Raichik, the woman behind the conservative 'Libs of TikTok' social media account. Raichik also is named as a defendant in the lawsuit. She and Walters often trade congratulatory social media posts, and a video of her praising Walters for the library committee's formation was shown during that state board meeting. Also named as defendants were the state education board, that board's current members and former member Kendra Wesson, and the library committee. "This lawsuit is nothing more than a politically motivated attack by a radical, Soros-funded organization determined to obstruct the work being done in Oklahoma," Walters said. "These extremists are using the legal system to harass and obstruct progress in an effort to push their radical agenda. OSDE will not be bullied by extremist organizations trying to weaponize the courts and remains committed to transparency and compliance with all legal requirements." Walters' claim about Oklahoma Appleseed being funded by liberal billionaire George Soros is false. Walters is, or has been, a defendant in at least 20 state and federal lawsuits filed since he took office in January 2023. Despite multiple open records requests from multiple media outlets, Walters and the state agency have steadfastly declined to identify any other members of the library committee, which appears to be a public committee, given its work for a state agency. The state Education Department has said the committee is a volunteer advisory board appointed by Walters and is made up of parents, current or retired librarians, and English literature teachers. Oklahoma Appleseed says despite repeated requests, the agency has not provided information on how library committee members — specifically Raichik — were appointed and how the committee conducts its business. The lawsuit claims the state agency and the library committee have violated the Open Meeting Act by failing to hold public meetings, post agendas or conduct public votes. Although the committee was publicly announced as a government advisory body, it has never met in compliance with the law, effectively operating in secrecy, according to the lawsuit. Oklahoma Appleseed also said it has yet to have a June 28 open records request, seeking information about the library committee, filled by the state Education Department. Open records provided to The Oklahoman last year gave a glimpse into how the committee was formed and some of its work, but did not include its membership list, which has been requested multiple times by the newspaper. The committee has not been mentioned publicly by Walters since an Oklahoma Supreme Court decision effectively voided a handful of the agency's administrative rules — pushed by Walters and approved by the state Board of Education ― including one giving the agency the authority to determine what books could be in the libraries of individual school districts. That decision stemmed from a lawsuit originally filed by Edmond Public Schools. The court ruled that to be a decision reserved to local school boards, not any state agency or board. Oklahoma Appleseed seeks a court order compelling the Education Department to release all requested public records and requiring the library committee to comply with Open Meetings Act requirements. Brent Rowland, the legal director of Oklahoma Appleseed, said the lawsuit filed Tuesday was about government transparency and accountability. 'The public has a right to know who is making decisions affecting its public schools,' Rowland said. 'Oklahomans have a right to expect that their government will follow the law regarding open records and open meetings. 'In this instance, the state Department of Education has formed a Library Media Advisory Committee to make decisions about students' access to books when our state Supreme Court has determined those decisions should be made by local school boards. State officials cannot hide behind closed doors and avoid public accountability, and why would they want to?' Oklahoma Appleseed is a party to at least two other lawsuits involving Walters, one in the Oklahoma Supreme Court regarding his Bible mandate and one that's been appealed to the same court. That case was filed by a Moore Public Schools student seeking to change their pronouns in school records. (This story was updated to add new information.) This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Nonprofit sues Ryan Walters over open records, Libs of TikTok hire
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State education board meeting suddenly postponed after member asks about violation
The monthly meeting of the Oklahoma State Board of Education was postponed Thursday after one member expressed concern after learning of a potential violation of the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act concerning the meeting agenda. The Oklahoman reported Wednesday the agenda for Thursday's scheduled 1 p.m. meeting wasn't posted until 1:20 p.m. on the Oklahoma State Department of Education's public website. Under law, the agenda must be posted at least 24 hours before the start of the scheduled meeting. The agency spokeswoman, Grace Kim, said Wednesday afternoon the law's requirements had been met. The Oklahoman's story also noted state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters – who is chair of the board by virtue of his elective office – had rejected requests from three new board members to include items on the agenda. During February's meeting, the three had clashed with Walters over his absolute control of the agenda. Among the items requested by Ryan Deatherage, of Kingfisher; Michael Tinney, of Norman; and Chris VanDenhende, of Tulsa – appointed to the board by Gov. Kevin Stitt in early February – were requests to reconsider a vote taken in February to approve controversial new social studies academic standard (which Deatherage said he hadn't had time to read) to explore educational outcomes in Oklahoma and to consider a 'possible action of employment' concerning current board attorney Chad Kutmas. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, after The Oklahoman's story had been published, Kutmas sent an email – obtained by the newspaper – to Walters saying 'we have been advised' that the agenda for Thursday's meeting had been posted at 1:19 p.m. and might not have met Open Meeting Act requirements. He blamed the state Office of Management and Enterprise Services for the late posting. Kutmas sent another email to board members at 9:34 p.m., saying he'd spoken with board member Sarah Lepak 'about these late breaking developments' and that she believed it would be 'prudent' to not conduct the meeting as scheduled. 'In light of this, it is our recommendation that the meeting be continued.' Lepak, from Claremore, is the board's longest-serving member and one of two members not replaced by Stitt last month. Her father is Republican state Rep. Mark Lepak and her brother is Ben Lepak, the governor's general counsel and a former member of the Statewide Charter School Board. Kutmas, in his email, did not indicate if he spoke with any members of what now is a six-person board other than Lepak and Walters. Deatherage, Tinney, Van Denhende and Zachary Archer of Hammon. Walters, at 10:47 p.m., said, 'In light of this, I don't believe we should go forward with the meeting tomorrow. I will announce (Thursday) the meeting will be continued to a later date so no need to make the trip over to OKC.' A spokeswoman for the agency didn't immediately respond to questions about why the meeting was postponed or when it might be rescheduled. There was no immediate word Thursday morning as to when the meeting might be rescheduled. State law mandates the state Board of Education to hold a regular meeting each month, but the board skipped its meeting last November with no legal consequences. On the eve of the board's most recent meeting on Feb. 27, The Oklahoman reported that on at least one previous occasion, Walters had ignored a board member's request to place an item on the agenda for discussion. Walters and the new board members clashed during the meeting over the board members' inability to place items on the agenda without going through Walters. On March 4, House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, introduced legislation that would allow board-member access to the agenda. House Bill 1491, which has the support of Stitt and state Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, would allow an item to be placed on the agenda if requested in writing by at least two members of the board. If that condition was met, the item then would be placed on the agenda for the next meeting or a subsequent meeting, as decided by the requesting board members. The House approved the bill by an 80-16 vote on Wednesday night, moving it to the Senate for consideration. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting postponed Thursday
