Two Colorado parents have raised nearly $14,000 to challenge their school district over closed-door discussions that helped shape plans to close several schools.
Here’s what to know
Landon and Jonna Yarrington are parents of a Beattie Elementary School student. They have filed a civil lawsuit against Fort Collins’ Poudre School District, alleging violations of Colorado’s open meetings law, according to public media outlet KUNC.
Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition executive director Jeff Roberts told the outlet that the state’s open meetings law requires advisory groups and other local public bodies to work publicly. That interpretation conflicts with the district’s position that the committee’s advisory status allowed it to operate outside public view.
“I don’t think we have any case law on how this is supposed to be interpreted. We’ve had other situations where a government will claim an advisory body like this is not covered by the open meetings law because it wasn’t directly appointed by another public body. The statute doesn’t seem to make that distinction,” Roberts told KUNC, addressing arguments that the way members are appointed could exempt such groups…