As the Westerly School Committee takes up alterations to the town's trans student policy, it violates the Open Meeting Act
"I can’t make this Committee care about trans children, but I can damn well make them care about the Open Meetings Act."
[Note: I mixed it up and originally wrote that the following was sent to me. I meant to say the following was sent by me. It has been corrected. My apologies to all.]
[Update: The meeting has been canceled.]
The following was sent to Patrick Reynolds, Special Assistant Attorney General, and Brian Hodge, Director of Communications at the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office:
“Tonight’s meeting of the Westerly School Committee, scheduled for 5 pm, was not properly noticed. It was added to the Secretary of State’s website today at 11:47 am, only after I called to inquire. Here’s the posted agenda.
“The school committee is taking up an extremely important issue, one made artificially controversial by right-wing bigots - the changing of a policy that protects trans students and has been in effect and ensured the safety of all students - trans and cis - for around seven years.
It is impossible to know whether this omission was done in error, or as a means to hide the actions of the committee members on a controversial issue. Either way, I am making an official complaint against the Westerly School Committee, and I would like to see the committee taken to task for violating the Open Meetings Act.1
“I can’t make this Committee care about trans children, but I can damn well make them care about the Open Meetings Act.”
Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE)’s Transgender, Gender Diverse, and Transitioning Student policy
Per Assistant Attorney General Reynolds: “The OMA does require that public bodies post supplemental public notice (commonly called the agenda) on the Secretary of State’s website. See R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-46-6(c) “Written public notice shall include, but need not be limited to, posting a copy of the notice at the principal office of the public body holding the meeting, or if no principal office exists, at the building in which the meeting is to be held, and in at least one other prominent place within the governmental unit, and electronic filing of the notice with the secretary of state.”
The meeting scheduled for today has been cancelled.
Response from Asst. Attorney General Patrick Reynolds:
"As the School Committee has not yet held this meeting, this complaint is premature as no potential violation has yet occurred. However, if the meeting tonight does go forward then I will open an OMA complaint."