Arizona attorney general sues Scottsdale school district and board member Greenburg
Arizona Lawyer Common Mark Brnovich filed a lawsuit against the Scottsdale Unified College District and board member Jann-Michael Greenburg, accusing them of violating Arizona’s Open up Meeting Regulation previous summer season.
Brnovich contends the governing board, by way of Greenburg, who was board president at the time, broke condition legislation on Aug. 17 when it issued content-based mostly restrictions on community remark, making it possible for people to only converse about just one of the agenda things.
Board customers also violated the legislation when they minimize off speakers who tried to give enter on any other matter, together with a proposed mask mandate that was also on the agenda, in accordance to the attorney general’s criticism.
The complaint also says board members were in violation of the state’s Open up Assembly Law on Aug. 23 when they limited in-individual entry in the boardroom when COVID-19 mitigation procedures had been one of the agenda items. The 39 people today who resolved the board that evening had to wait outside and enter the boardroom one particular at a time.
Greenburg instructed The Arizona Republic at the time that the final decision to restrict entry came at the information of law enforcement amid heightened tensions more than face coverings.
The legal professional general also says Greenburg broke the law when he interrupted mother or father Amanda Wray when she talked about a neo-Nazi propaganda comic e book currently being distributed at a college campus. When Wray accused a district staff of distributing the materials, Greenburg stated that wasn’t correct.
Wray “correctly discussed to Greenburg that he is not allowed to interrupt community responses,” according to the complaint.
When Wray concluded her feedback, Greenburg reported he required to make distinct that no district staff dispersed the material. Once he was accomplished with his statement, he was caught on the microphone whispering to his colleagues, “Jesus f—— Christ, these individuals.” He apologized soon after moms and dads told him they had listened to him.
“I did cuss on the mic and I’m pretty sorry about that. I apologize to our local community, I apologize to my fellow board customers, to personnel and mother and father looking at. These things happen,” he explained. “I have to confess it was done out of disappointment.”
Greenburg’s father, Mark Greenburg, is suing Wray for defamation for feedback she designed about a leaked Google Drive folder that contained social media posts and other in depth facts on parents. Wray, in switch, filed a lawsuit with other mom and dad very last thirty day period towards the district and Mark Greenburg about the Google Drive.
District’s response
A few grievances had been filed with the Attorney General’s Place of work after these two meetings.
Following receiving observe of the issues in November, the district despatched a reaction to the attorney general in December, in accordance to SUSD spokesperson Kristine Harrington, who also reported the district hadn’t gained any supplemental details about it until finally it figured out about the lawsuit.
Harrington claimed the district doesn’t comment on pending litigation but maintains it complied with the Open Meeting Law.
Legal professional Jennifer MacLennan wrote SUSD’s reaction, saying it was the district’s posture that point out regulation permitted SUSD to limit comments, citing a 1999 lawyer normal opinion. Brnovich argues the district’s posture ignores that at the time the feeling was issued, the state Open Conference Regulation was silent on whether or not a general public system could allow general public comment.
MacLennan also wrote in the response that Wray had been permitted to finish her remarks and concluded them three seconds before her time was up. She also argued that board associates are permitted to handle criticism and that Greenburg didn’t break the law when he corrected Wray.
Masks, curriculum, ‘communism’: Scottsdale district, board face continued turmoil
The Arizona Republic arrived at out to Jann-Michael Greenburg for remark but did not listen to back.
Brnovich is asking that a judge issue an purchase that:
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Prohibits the district from covering any of Greenburg’s authorized costs.
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Declares SUSD and Greenburg violated point out Open Meeting Law and enters a judgment necessitating them to comply with the regulation.
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Imposes a civil penalty on Greenburg to be compensated to the district in the utmost volume permitted under the law.
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Awards all other reduction underneath the Open up Assembly Regulation, together with purchasing correct steps to reduce violations or removing Greenburg from workplace.
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Awards the Attorney General’s Office his attorneys’ fees and charges.
Jann-Michael Greenburg’s term is up in January. He currently has announced he is not managing for reelection.
Brnovich, who has served as lawyer general due to the fact 2015, is jogging for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate.
Greenburg, SUSD on the incredibly hot seat yet again
This is not the to start with time the Greenburgs or the Scottsdale university district have been the subject matter of controversy in new months.
In November, numerous parents and some of Jann-Michael Greenburg’s colleagues on the board known as for his resignation after information of his father’s documents made up of details on moms and dads who experienced been critical of the district came out.
The governing board isn’t going to have the electric power to oust Jann-Michael Greenburg from the board, but members did remove him as president of the board.
At the exact time, Superintendent Scott Menzel announced a district investigation into the files to see if any district methods ended up made use of to produce or preserve the information. In February, the district released the results of the investigation, which concluded no school official used district computer systems in relationship with the drive.
The Scottsdale Law enforcement Department also investigated the information and interviewed numerous mom and dad, which include Wray, and concluded that no legal perform less than its jurisdiction experienced been dedicated.
Mark Greenburg, in his lawsuit from Wray, accused her of defaming him and invading his privacy by sharing a duplicate of his personalized Google Travel folder.
Wray, on the other hand, is accusing Mark Greenburg of defamation for collecting information and facts on a individual bankruptcy for somebody with a equivalent identify but who is not her. Her lawsuit argues that Mark Greenburg shared that file with his son and two other people and by wrongfully associating the bankruptcy with her could hurt her vocation as a economical adviser.
Achieve the reporter at [email protected] or at 480-267-4703. Abide by her on Twitter @renataclo.
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This post initially appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona attorney standard sues Scottsdale school district, board member