This coming Thursday (August 13, 2015), I will go before the State Records Committee to challenge the District’s decision to withhold information from me about the deployment of Salt Lake City Police Officer’s who work as School Resource Officers (SRO) in the Salt Lake City School District (District).
BACKGROUND:
On April 29, 2015 – I submitted a GRAMA request to the District, requesting information of the deployment of SROs in the District:
On May 4, 2015 – I sent a letter to the Board President requesting clarification of why the issue of SRO deployment is place on the agenda as a closed door meeting:
Letter to Heather Bennett 05/04/15
On May 12,2015 – I received a GRAMA response from the District advising me in part:
“Records that have not been provided are protected … because
the records are subject to attorney client privilege…”
District GRAMA Response 05/12/15
On May 13, 2015 – I sent an email to Kristina Kindl, the District’s Director, Policy & Legal Services. I am asking her who is the attorney and who is the client in this “attorney client privilege” mentioned in the GRAMA denial?
She responds:
“…the communication that I have with district administrators or district employees in which I am acting as a legal adviser for the district are protected and exempt from disclosure”.
Email exchange with Kristina Kindl 05/13/15
On May 14, 2015 – I filed an appeal with the District stating that “as a member of the Board of Education, I am entitled to the information that I am requesting.”
Michael Clara GRAMA Appeal 05/14/15
On May 26, 2015, I received the District’s denial of my appeal, issued by Janet Roberts, School District’s Business Administrator. Where in part, she states:
“Moreover, you have provided no statutory or legal reference to support your claim that you are entitled by law to inspect confidential attorney-client privileged communications:
District GRAMA Appeal Denial 05/26/15
On June 8, 2015, I filed an Appeal of the Chief Administrative Officer’s Denial with the Utah State Records Committee:
Appeal of Chief Admin Denial 06/08/15
On June 15, 2015, I received a letter from the Utah State Records Committee, advising me that appeals hearing has been scheduled for:
August 13, 2015
State Records Committee Hearing Letter 06/15/15
UPDATE: On August 8, 2015, I receive a letter from two Attorney’s hired by the school district, telling me to me to drop my appeal hearing: Superintendent’s Attorney Counsels Board Member to Drop Appeal