i work at a school and i am trying to get my voice heard, but the school administrator wont let us know any information about the board meetings other than they exist and are by "invitaiton only" ijust want to kow if thats legal. the school is funded through tax dollars so i would think that it should fall under the brown act. i did alot of research and just got the names of the board members and when the board meeting is but there is no agenda or anything i need some help understanding if this is legal and if not how to approach it?
2006-07-27 16:24:41 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
i work at a school, (the school is a school funded by tax payers money and falls under the california state educational system it is a school for autistic kids) and i am trying to get my voice heard, but the school administrator wont let us know any information about the board meetings other than they exist and are by "invitaiton only" if just want to know if thats legal. the school is funded through tax dollars so i would think that it should fall under the brown act. i did alot of research and just got the names of the board members and when the board meeting is but there is no agenda or anything i need some help understanding if this is legal and if not how to approach it?
2006-07-27 16:34:52 · update #1
If the school is a *public* school, the "directors" or "trustees" are required by law to publish a meeting notice in a "newspaper of record". If you are in the greater L.A. area, the probable places where the District would publish would be either the L.A. Daily Journal or the Metropolitan News. Both papers are available on newstands...The subscriber list is 99 percent lawyers and judges.
If the school is "private", even if it receives federal funds under the Individual w/ Disabilities Education Act, the Brown Act would not apply. If the issue relates to treatment of the disabled by the school, your best bet is to ask to speak w/ a lawyer at the Western Center for Law and The Disabled, which works out Loyola Law School in L.A.. In Northern California, you want to contact Disability Rights, known as DREDEF, which is in Berkeley. There are governmental agencies that have jurisdiction over "special" schools, but I'm betting that one of the staff attorneys or law clerks can get to the necessary bureaucrats faster than you can. That's why they exist.
Oh, if it is a public school and the trustees have violated the Brown Act by failing to meet publicly, you should complain to your local District Attorney's office. (It's a crime.)
Good luck, and keep trying.
2006-07-27 16:51:41 · answer #1 · answered by Chuck L 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You mention the Brown Act, so you are probably in California. It's hard to from you question if you are talking about a charter school, a private school or a public school district. Please clarify your question.
2006-07-27 23:30:05 · answer #2 · answered by Carl 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm sure the NSA knows all about it, you could ask them.
It sounds fishy, have you contacted the local news?
2006-07-27 23:28:46 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋