FARMINGTON — The Regional School Unit 9 board of directors voted to adjust the policy regarding public comment at board meetings on Tuesday, Aug. 8. The changes were minimal, but substantial enough to warrant it being taken to the board for approval.
The Board voted unanimously in favor of the change.
In the original policy, the last line of section one that read, ‘only by a majority vote of the Board members present may the overall 10-minute time limit for public comment and/or the general two-minute limit on individual comments be shortened, extended, or eliminated’ has been removed.
It will replaced by ‘time limits may be modified at the discretion of the Board’. ‘Boards have the option to set their own time limits’ was also added to the policy.
Under section three, the policy regarding the discussion of personnel matters was modified to clarify the types of comments that can be made. The policy will restrict complaints or positive/complimentary comments when discussing the job performance or conduct of a school unit employee.
According to Superintendent Christian Elkington, the revisions in April came under the advisory of Maine School Management and their law firm due to an influx of first amendment lawsuits.
“There are several lawsuits right now across the state of Maine, where public comment [and the] expectations have not been clear,” Elkington stated to the board, “or it’s perceived that they are not clear and first amendment lawsuits are the concern.”
Elkington referenced Regional School Unit 22, which recently had to pay $40,000 over a first amendment violation and is currently undergoing a second lawsuit, as the catalyst for the change. The policy changes were voted in by the board on Tuesday, April 25.
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