Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act is quite clear: Except in certain limited instances, meetings of public bodies must be open to the public. The law’s intent is also clear: Public officials cannot do public business in secret. The Fairfax County School Board has been accused of multiple violations of the state’s open meetings law, as well as its own strategic governance rules, according to a lawsuit filed Jan. 7 in Fairfax County Circuit Court by Patton Boggs attorney Benjamin Chew. School board members allegedly exchanged secret e-mails about matters under discussion during public meetings regarding the closure of Clifton Elementary.
One of these e-mails, dated June 15, 2010, which surfaced as a result of FOIA requests by Clifton resident Jill DeMello Hill, show school board member Liz Bradsher — whose Springfield district includes Clifton — brazenly coaching members of a West Springfield High School parents’ group on how to advance in FCPS’ renovation queue by lobbying board members to close Clifton. “If we decided to close Clifton, your bonding could be moved [up two years] to 2011,” Bradsher tells members of the parents’ group.
