Plano ISD Board of Trustees on Oct. 23 denied two level‑3 grievances challenging district procedures for public comment and related conduct, voting to uphold the board'adopted change to policy BED Local that limits public comment at regular meetings to posted agenda items.

The action came after public comments from parents and a formal grievance hearing in which complainant Justin Bennett argued the revised policy and the district'ads "community input" meetings undermine timely public participation and may violate provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act. The board voted to deny Bennett'ads grievance by voice/hand vote; trustees recorded six votes in favor and one abstention. Separately, the board denied a level‑3 grievance filed by Cody Weaver; that motion also passed with one abstention.

The dispute centers on a BED Local amendment the board adopted Aug. 19, 2025, that narrows regular meeting public‑comment to agenda items and moves non‑agenda topics into separate community input meetings. Justin Bennett, who identified himself as "a parent of three students in Plano ISD," told the board the policy change removes a long‑standing avenue for community members to speak at the meetings "where decisions are actually made" and forces stakeholders into sessions that, in his view, are "disconnected from board decision making." Bennett cited multiple provisions of the Texas Government Code during his presentation, including sections that define notice and meeting rules and those that limit board responses to unposted topics.

Rebecca Bradley, attorney for district administration, presented the administration'ads defense and asked the board to deny Bennett'ads grievance. Bradley said the district revised BED Local to "solicit more meaningful dialogue" and to remain within legal limits for a limited public forum. She told the board the change "modifies, not restricts, the time, place and manner of the discussions on items that are not posted on the agenda" and argued the district provides multiple avenues for stakeholders to raise concerns, including the new community input meetings, email, phone, and the Let's Talk platform. Bradley said the community input meetings are recorded and designed to allow back‑and‑forth when fewer than a quorum of trustees are present.

Bennett and several public commenters raised additional concerns about how the new structure operates in practice. Parent Harper Weaver said he was dissatisfied with "replacement" community input meetings and cited inconsistencies between staff responses and an FAQ posted on the district website. Megan Vecchio, who identified herself as a Plano ISD parent and resident, told the board the removal of non‑agenda public comments "denies parents and community members a way to contribute to board meetings," and she cited a recent bond update presentation that included a lengthy discussion of mold at Murphy Middle School that, she said, would have prompted her to sign up to speak had the report been posted in advance.

At the hearing the board followed a fixed procedure: Bennett had 10 minutes to present, administration 10 minutes with two minutes reserved for rebuttal, and witnesses were not subject to cross‑examination. The presiding officer explained the board'ads task as twofold: determine whether board policy was followed with fidelity and whether the prior policy action was arbitrary and capricious. Bennett requested several remedies including rescission or amendment of the BED Local revision, revision of the district webpage language for community input meetings, clearer agenda postings and linked reports, and safeguards to avoid "walking quorum" practices.

After the open‑session hearing and a closed‑session consultation with counsel, trustees moved on actions. For Bennett'ads grievance, Board Secretary Tara Lance made the motion to deny; Nancy Humphrey seconded. The motion passed with six trustees voting in favor and one abstention (Trustee Michael Cook recorded on the record as abstaining). For the Weaver grievance (Cody Weaver), the board considered that matter after a closed‑session hearing and then voted to deny the grievance; Trustee Elisa Klein moved, Trustee Catherine Goodwin seconded, the motion passed with one abstention by Board President Lauren Tyra, who recused herself from that matter.

The administration framed the policy change as lawful and as an effort to create a more usable forum for community engagement. Bradley cited case law and the district'ads BED legal references in arguing the board has authority to create a "limited public forum" with reasonable, viewpoint‑neutral restrictions. Bennett and public speakers disagreed about whether the community input meetings, as run in practice, provide meaningful participation tied to board deliberation.

The board did not adopt any of the remedies requested by Bennett at the Oct. 23 meeting. The trustees recorded the denials in open session and directed no further formal action at that time.

Votes at a glance: Deny level‑3 grievance filed by Justin Bennett (motion: "deny the level 3 grievance filed by Mr. Justin Bennett under board policy GF Local"). Mover: Tara Lance. Second: Nancy Humphrey. Tally: 6 yes, 0 no, 1 abstain (Michael Cook). Outcome: motion approved (grievance denied).

Deny level‑3 grievance filed by Cody Weaver (motion: "deny the level 3 grievance filed by Mr. Cody Weaver under board policy GF Local"). Mover: Elisa Klein. Second: Catherine Goodwin. Tally: 6 yes, 0 no, 1 abstain (Lauren Tyra). Outcome: motion approved (grievance denied).

The board convened and adjourned in accordance with notice; the meeting opened at 5:30 p.m. and adjourned at 8:12 p.m. on Oct. 23, 2025.