Board member says solicitor was instructed not to speak to them; raises report request and conduct concerns

A member of the Littlestown Area School District school board raised concerns that the district solicitor had been instructed not to speak with them and said they were excluded from a hallway meeting with the solicitor after a December meeting.

The board member told colleagues they had asked to speak with the solicitor when the attorney first arrived and were told the solicitor had been instructed not to speak to them. The member said the solicitor told them, “I can't expect you to be recording me,” and described the solicitor’s tone as “severely disrespectful.” The member identified two other board members—Carl and Don—as having spoken with the solicitor and questioned why they had been allowed to talk while the member was not.

Board members discussed solicitor reports. One participant said they had contacted the solicitor as requested and that a report dated Jan. 10 had been submitted and would be provided to the board at the upcoming Monday meeting. The complaining member said they had concerns about two issues related to the solicitor contact: (1) the hourly cost the district pays for solicitor services and (2) the circumstances of an off-the-record hallway meeting after a December 2 meeting. The member also referenced a past vote they opposed, saying it was “corrupt” and “very expensive,” though the transcript does not provide details about the project or the vote.

Members named Don, Carl and Doctor Bell during the exchange; the complaining member asked colleagues to confirm who had authorized the solicitor to avoid speaking to them. The board did not resolve the dispute on the record in the provided transcript. Members indicated the Jan. 10 solicitor report would be circulated to the board ahead of the next meeting.