Tag Archives: lawsuit

More legal challenges in Woodland Park

The Woodland Park School District board continues to waste taxpayer money, with a second lawsuit against the City of Woodland Park. The first lawsuit is an accusation of opens meetings law violation in regards to the meeting where we saw the sales tax revoked. This new lawsuit is attacking that decision itself and seeks to have the tax restored.

The board had a choice. They could have acknowledged and apologized for their reckless actions that led to that decision, and come to the voters with a new tax proposal to help the schools. Instead they chose to enrich the lawyers working for the district and drag out this issue in court instead.

Board meeting tonight if you want to speak your mind on this issue. We know that there’s one board member who does like to hear from the voters.

Read the filing here.

ACLU of Colorado Sues Elizabeth School District Over Book Bans | ACLU Colorado

The ACLU of Colorado, representing C.C., a student at Elizabeth High School, E.S., a student in the Elizabeth School District (ESD), the NAACP – Colorado – Montana – Wyoming State Area Conference (NAACP), and the Authors Guild, sued the Elizabeth School District for removing books
— Read on www.aclu-co.org/en/press-releases/aclu-colorado-sues-elizabeth-school-district-over-book-bans

Derrick Wilburn files lawsuit against Academy D-20 parent | Courts | gazette.com

Academy District 20 school board member Derrick Wilburn has filed a lawsuit alleging that district parent, Bernadette Guthrie, has waged a public, multi-pronged smear campaign against him for almost a year.
— Read on gazette.com/news/courts/colorado-springs-school-board-member-files-lawsuit-against-district-parent/article_36b89a80-be28-11ef-825e-2b48ed47cef0.html

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Note, a GoFundMe has been set up to help with the legal defense costs for this parent. The prosecuting attorney bringing this case against this parent is David Illingworth, the Woodland Park school board member soundly defeated by Keegan Barkley in the last election. The D20 board president is Aaron Salt, who you’ll recognize as Ken Witt’s right-hand man in WPSD.

CFOIC brief: Eliminating penalties for ‘cured’ violations ‘eviscerates’ enforcement of open meetings law – Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition

The Colorado Supreme Court is reviewing whether the Court of Appeals in 2023 incorrectly rejected the awarding of attorney fees to plaintiff Erin O’Connell, who successfully challenged the Woodland Park school board — at least initially — over a meeting-notice violation that the board “effectively cured” at a subsequent meeting.
— Read on coloradofoic.org/cfoic-brief-eliminating-penalties-for-cured-violations-eviscerates-enforcement-of-open-meetings-law/

Colorado Supreme Court will review judicially created doctrine that lets public bodies ‘cure’ open meetings law violations – Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition

The “cure” case concerns a 2022 open meetings law violation by the Woodland Park school board, which considered a memorandum of understanding with a charter school under a vague “BOARD HOUSEKEEPING” agenda item.

A district court judge initially granted a preliminary injunction, ordering the board to “clearly, honestly and forthrightly” list future agenda items pertaining to the charter school. But the judge and the Court of Appeals later rejected plaintiff Erin O’Connell’s argument for the awarding of attorney fees because the board “effectively cured the prior violation” by discussing and voting on the MOU at a subsequent public meeting.
— Read on coloradofoic.org/colorado-supreme-court-will-review-judicially-created-doctrine-that-lets-public-bodies-cure-open-meetings-law-violations/

Colorado Supreme Court will review judicially created doctrine that lets public bodies ‘cure’ open meetings law violations – Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition

A district court judge initially granted a preliminary injunction, ordering the board to “clearly, honestly and forthrightly” list future agenda items pertaining to the charter school. But the judge and the Court of Appeals later rejected plaintiff Erin O’Connell’s argument for the awarding of attorney fees because the board “effectively cured the prior violation” by discussing and voting on the MOU at a subsequent public meeting.
— Read on coloradofoic.org/colorado-supreme-court-will-review-judicially-created-doctrine-that-lets-public-bodies-cure-open-meetings-law-violations/

Court of Appeals affirms judge’s order requiring release of Woodland Park School District security footage – Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition

The state’s second-highest court Thursday affirmed a judge’s order to disclose video surveillance footage showing three Woodland Park school board members talking with a candidate for superintendent after a public meeting in December 2022.
— Read on coloradofoic.org/court-of-appeals-affirms-judges-order-requiring-release-of-woodland-park-school-district-security-footage/

Woodland Park school board, union reach agreement on controversial policy | Education | gazette.com

“The new Woodland Park School Board Policy KDDA no longer violates teachers’ First Amendment constitutional rights to free speech,” Nate Owen, president of the Woodland Park Education Association, said in a press release. “Not only does this restore the First Amendment rights of educators, but it ensures a clear path for educator voices now and into the future.”
— Read on gazette.com/content/tncms/live/

Woodland Park School District drops unconstitutional gag order, union says

The Woodland Park School District has removed and replaced a school board policy that the local teachers union called unconstitutional because it prohibited educators from speaking to the press or posting on social media about district decisions without consent, the Woodland Park Education Association announced this week.

The teachers union sued the district and its Board of Education in federal court over the summer, alleging employees’ First Amendment rights were violated by the policy. The decision to replace the policy with a new one, which the union says “protects the First Amendment rights of educators,” was made during federal court mediation, according to a news release.

— Read on www.denverpost.com/2023/11/02/woodland-park-teachers-union-lawsuit-agreement/