Walt Chappell, a Wichita Democrat representing District 8 on the Kansas State Board of Education, says members of the board have again tried to intimidate him and shut down discussion of important issues. He also said their actions violated the Kansas Open Meetings Act.
Chappell is an outspoken minority voice on fiscal responsibility in education during board meetings and in public. His comments have drawn the fire of other board members and education administrators since his election in 2008.
“You don’t talk out of school,” Chappell told KansasWatchdog. “If you do, you’re going to get cut off at the knees. I’ve been around long enough to know that this is a tactic that is used, many times successfully, to shut people up.”
During the March 8 meeting the board closed the session to the public when board member Carolyn Wims-Campbell, asked for an executive session “for the purpose of consultation with the Board attorney in order to preserve the attorney-client privilege.”
Motions for closed session must include, “Justification for closing the meeting and the subjects to be discussed during the closed or executive meeting,” according to the KOMA statute.
The statute also says any action resulting from the executive session must be taken in public. Minutes, scheduled for approval at the board’s Tuesday meeting say board member Walt Chappell was the topic of discussion immediately after the closed session:
“Board members conducted a discussion regarding concerns on the part of some members with statements and correspondence being disseminated by a member of the Board. The concerns centered on whether the information being provided by Board member Chappell was misleading and if it was being presented in a way that caused confusion as to whether it represented the position of the full Board or only Dr. Chappell’s personal opinion.”
The board’s chairman, David Dennis, District 10, Wichita, told KansasWatchdog the closed session was held to determine what action the board could take regarding individual members of the board. According KOMA such general discussions are not sufficient cause for an executive session.
“We wanted clarification from lawyer on what actions a board can take with board members. That was all. It was very short,” Dennis said.
