PW Board fails to notify public of interview with superintendent candidate

The Palestine-Wheatley School Board has once again violated the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act by interviewing a potential candidate for the interim superintendent’s position without notifying the public that a meeting was being held.

Board president Derrick Boileau said all seven members of the board met Tuesday morning to interview potential candidate Danny Sample, who is a retired superintendent of the Harrisburg School District.

He said the board is also planning to interview Carl Easley for the position but at this time is “unsure when that interview will take place.”

Boileau told a Times-Herald reporter Monday night that a potential candidate could be interviewed on Tuesday, but the newspaper, nor the public, was notified of the time of that meeting.

Boileau said Tuesday’s meeting began at 10 a.m., and was held in a shop belonging to board member. “It was held in Jared Parker’s shop with all board members present,” he said.

Boileau admitted none of the proper meeting procedures were followed, such as calling the meeting to order, calling an executive session to interview the candidate or adjourning the meeting.

John Tull, a member of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Task Force and a partner with the Quattlebaum, Grooms and Tull Law Firm, said this morning, that Tuesday’s gathering was “certainly a FOIA violation.”

“It’s a fairly egregious violation to do what they did,” said Tull. “They are clearly trying to avoid public scrutiny of who they are interviewing.”

By law, the board is required to give the media – and anyone else who has asked to be notified of their meetings – a two-hour notice prior to any special board meeting.

“They can interview in executive session, but they’re required to notify the public that they’re interviewing people, and it has to be done under public scrutiny so the public knows what they are doing,” said Tull.

“It sure looks like an intentional violation because they gave some possibility of a notice of a meeting but didn’t follow up and give notice to allow you to have a reporter there,” said Tull. “This is a clear violation.”

Last month, the PW School Board violated the FOI by not properly notifying the TimesHerald of its regular monthly meeting, after sending the newspaper conflicting information as to when the meeting would be held. The board met on Aug. 12, without the media present.

The board was required by law to hold that meeting over, which was done on Aug. 17.

The district does not publish

(Continued from Page 1) the date for each month’s meeting on its website. The website only shows that board meetings are to be held at 7 p.m., on the second Monday of the month.

Tull advised the newspaper to contact the prosecuting attorney’s office regarding the violations.

Violation of the FOI is a Class C misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a fine of up to $500.