South Range approves resolution in Ferenchak v. South Range
By AMANDA TONOLI
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 people 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.
In the 3-2 vote, the board authorized its legal counsel to move forward to settle the suit.
The board said the decision to resolve the issue largely eliminates the costs associated with defending a lawsuit, including the time district officials and staff would have had to spend in the legal process.
Board President Ralph Wince, who voted against the approval, said he didn’t believe any Sunshine Laws were broken and that he stands firm with his vote.
“I value my integrity and my honesty, and I was willing to defend that,” Wince said.
Outgoing board member Jeff Good also voted no.
Board members voting yes were White, Ed Pierson and Dale Murray.
Although the case is not yet legally resolved, Superintendent Dennis Dunham said this is the first step in moving forward and putting the students’ interests first.
In other news, the board approved an unscheduled purchase order before the end of the year of $1,332.85 for an emergency bus repair.
Lastly, Dunham thanked departing four-year-term board members Good and Pierson for their positive contributions at their last school board meeting of the year.
Dunham said in their 77 board meetings, the two accomplished many feats, including overseeing the strength-training facility construction, promoting concussion baseline testing, championing three levy campaigns and promoting open enrollment.
Good said the success during his time on the board was because of the team effort of the members of the school district and the South Range community.
“I’m very pleased that all good things are able to continue. There are times when the outlook wasn’t as bright as we liked, but we are now able to keep the program we started with,” Pierson said.