Grants Pass SD 7 board approves limited release of investigator's report

The Grants Pass School District 7 policy committee voted to release the final three pages of an investigative report prepared by Jolie Faber Patterson, the committee chair said during an open-session motion.

The motion, as read into the record, asked the board to "approve the release of the report provided by Jolie Faber Patterson, the final 3 pages of the larger document that was sent to us." A second was requested; Member Brownell was recorded as asking for a second. The committee then discussed the scope of the release and concerns about naming individuals.

Committee members expressed a mix of views. One member said the released pages "make sense" and provide a "good summary of the investigation, the advice, the findings." Another said their preference would have been to release the entire document, but noted concerns that some people named in the full report might not have known their names would be published and called the limited release a "reasonable compromise."

The chair conducted a roll call. Members recorded as voting yes on the motion were Member Smith, Member Pirtall, Member Richardson, Member Brownell and Member Rodriguez. The motion as presented passed and the minutes reflect approval of release of the final three pages only.

The committee closed its session shortly after the vote and moved on to its regular policy agenda. No additional release of the larger document was authorized during the meeting.

The district staff or legal counsel did not announce any further steps for broader public distribution during the meeting; the committee limited the approved disclosure to the pages specified in the motion.