South Range school board votes to resolve open-meeting's case
NORTH LIMA — South Range Board of Education authorized a consent order to resolve pending litigation against the district and individual board members, claiming a violation of Ohio’s open-meeting law.
In March, school board candidate Richard Ferenchak filed an injunction against the board for violating Sunshine Laws in the appointment of board member Amy White.
“All I can say is what took them so long? It was a clear cut violation of the law,” Ferenchak said in response to the board’s action. “It’s extremely sad that the board could have someone illegally be on the board and working for six months before they were even elected and have no legal recourse other than a slap on the wrist.”
He went on to say that if he had known no real consequence would come of legal action, he wouldn’t have wasted “his time, money and effort.”
According to Vindicator files, Ferenchak was one of five applicants who applied for an opening on the board after a resignation. The injunction stated that South Range violated its own board policy by not interviewing all candidates, and it had decided to interview two during an executive session March 12.
Ferenchak was contacted “on or about March 7” and was told he would not be interviewed.
That decision to interview only two of the five candidates was not made in an open meeting, Ferenchak’s complaint states.
From there, the selection of White at the March 12 meeting was not done in public, as well as preparing a nameplate, her oath of office and resolution to appoint her all violated the state’s open-meeting laws.
For the complete story, read Tuesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com