Rochester ethics panel censures school board member Sandra Keans; requires training and signing of ethics policy

Rochester — The Rochester Ethics Investigation Panel voted on July 22 to censure Sandra Keans, a member of the Rochester School Board, and require her to complete ethics training and sign the city ethics policy after an investigator concluded she disclosed nonpublic information and shared a privileged legal letter.

Andrew, the panel’s appointed ethics investigator, told the panel he "confirmed the initial allegations as true" and said his investigation also found what he described as additional violations of the city ethics policy, including Republican board member Keans distributing a privileged legal letter in the council chamber and participating in a vote that directly affected her.

The investigator said the disclosures prompted inaccurate public reporting and a social-media “explosion” that eroded trust and inhibited…