CARSON VALLEY, Nev. — A recent decision by the Nevada Attorney General’s Office concluded that three school board members did not violate Open Meeting Laws during a private consultation with legal counsel on April 9. Trustee Yvonne Wagstaff and former trustees Carey Kangas and Linda Gilkerson faced scrutiny when residents Virginia Starrett and David Seat filed an Open Meeting Law complaint against them.
The complaint arose while the trustees were discussing a potential settlement to a lawsuit alleging records violations against four other board members. The Attorney General ruled on May 23 that the trio did not break any laws during their discussion, which was deemed a consultation rather than a formal meeting.
During the subsequent board meeting, Wagstaff sought to reject the proposed settlement and advocated for negotiations aimed at achieving better terms for the district. This motion passed with support from both Kangas and Gilkerson, while trustees Susan Jansen, Doug Englekirk, Katherine Dickerson, and David Burns abstained, citing conflicts of interest.
At an ensuing meeting, attorney Kendra Jepsen, representing former legal counsel for the school board, acknowledged allegations pertaining to Open Meeting Law violations. In response to these concerns, Wagstaff asserted that no decisions were finalized during the April discussion, emphasizing that they merely reviewed options presented by their attorney before proceeding with a formal motion.
Meanwhile, District Judge Thomas Gregory issued a ruling on May 29, indemnifying the four trustees implicated in the original lawsuit, safeguarding them from personal liability for attorney fees. This decision came after resident Cheryl Blomstrom expressed concerns about the board’s duty to protect taxpayer interests, especially in light of recent cuts to personnel and programs due to budgetary constraints.
The proceedings unfolded from a records lawsuit initiated in August of 2023, involving former School Board Trustee Robbe Lehmann and other community respondents, alleging that the four trustees engaged in private communications regarding board matters. Following over a year of litigation, Judge Gregory’s final ruling, made on October 10, found that the trustees had withheld a significant amount of documentation—over 6,130 pages—while the school district delayed the release of an additional 500 pages.
In a separate ruling earlier this year, the court awarded the petitioners $166,081.16 to cover attorney fees and costs. As discussions continue within the school board, residents remain concerned about the implications of these rulings on governance and financial accountability.
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