THE HEADLINE READS: Parents’ meetings not open to public and the lead paragraph adds Broward Schools chief to meet with adults, give them chance to ‘speak in privacy’ about Parkland shooting.
Florida has a “Sunshine Law” that prevents boards from secret meetings.
The question: Does this meeting constitute a violation of the Sunshine Law?
STRICTLY SPEAKING, if only the parents and Superintendent Robt. Runcie are present — and no school board members — the answer is “probably not a violation of the Sunshine Law.”
On the other hand, the parents are a powerful and vocal special interest group — lobbyists.
Plus, one of the parents is a school board member.
No one begrudges them their cause and no one denies them their public appearances.
But there WAS a special commission called after the Parkland school shooting that left 17 dead, and the commission report was made public.
So why a secret meeting of the parents and Runcie?
The “alleged” shooter is in jail.
The failures of the FBI, the Sheriff’s Office, the school system Runcie heads, and other state and county agencies are listed in the commission‘s report.
So, again, why a secret meeting.
Several of the parents and a few students have had more than a little “face time” before tv cameras — both in Florida and in D.C.
Can there be anything that has not already been said in front of the cameras?
So, once more, why the secret meeting?
Has local paper suspicions?
Apparently the editors of the local newspaper, the Tribune Publishing’s Sun-Sentinel1, also think something is not strictly “kosher” about the meeting.
What suggests that?
Position.
The two-column, 36 point four-line headline is positioned immediately beneath the masthead, with the initial paragraphs above the fold — a prime position.
The article jumps (is continued) on Page 19, the paper’s normal “jump” page where it gets nearly 22-inches over three columns of 2-inch-wide type.
What to say & where to say it
The two-column image on the jump page of Runcie and an unidentified woman has a telling caption:
- Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie defends his decision to cancel a Jan.24 meeting with Stoneman Douglas parents during a school board workshop… District officials … said that parents will get their promised meeting with Runcie — but no one else will attend.
The reporter, Susannah Bryan, writes that All nine board members can attend, district officials said. She noted that only one school board member and Stoneman Douglas parent will be allowed to speak; the other board members, if they come, will be required to sit in silence.
Barbara Myrick, the school district attorney, was quoted stating board members will not be taking any official action or discussing topics they will vote on later — and that makes it kosher for the district to keep things private.
- How can Ms. Myrick know that there will be no discussion of topics that will be voted on in the future. She has a crystal ball?
At least one board member, Robin Bartleman was cited as objecting to the fact that only one school board member could participate in the meetings with the parents.
Good writing, questionable editing
While I commend Ms. Bryan on her reporting, I am left in a quandary — one I will blame on the copy editor.
In her lead (opening) paragraph, Ms. Bryan writes: Parkland parents … will get their promised meetings (plural) with Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie — but no one else will be allowed.
Later I read that one school board member will be allowed to speak (she also is a parent) and the other board members, if they come, will be required to sit in silence.
So what is it?
Runcie and parents, including one who happens to be a school board member, or Runcie and two or more school board members.
Florida and many other states have a Sunshine Law for a reason — elected boards were guilty of mismanagement and conniving against the public’s interest. That is not to suggest that members of any specific public body are guilty of anything today, but their predecessors were and that brought in the Sunshine Laws.
Sources
1. Sun-Sentinel article: https://tinyurl.com/y9rhw2ll
PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.
Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
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