These documents pertain to two legal actions I initiated on January 14, 2003, against the Manitowoc Public School District in defense of open records and open meetings. The first action was a request to the Attorney General of Wisconsin to issue an opinion on voting to impose the Qualified Economic Offer (QEO) in closed session. The second action was submitted to the Manitowoc County Special Prosecutor requesting he seek a mandamus ordering the school district to release the closed sessions minutes relating to the now completed bargaining process, including disclosing the vote on the QEO.

The school board chose to hold a closed session on Sept. 6, where they secretly voted to impose the QEO, even though the motion to go into closed session was for discussion. Then, at the regularly scheduled school board meeting on Sept. 10, the board took public input regarding labor negotiations and the QEO from citizens who did not know the decision had already been made in secret. After the public input portion, the board conducted the regular public meeting, followed by another closed session. Even if you grant the board's premise that it is appropriate to vote to impose the QEO in closed session, it is unknown why the school board did not simply take public input on Sept. 10, and then vote, rather than pretend to take public input after the decision had already been made. These documents describe many more instances of legally and ethically troubling conduct by the school board and the school district.


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