Resident urges investigation into records and possible ethics concerns during public comment

Hazel Park, Mich. — A resident used the public-comment period at the Hazel Park School District's Oct. 30 special meeting to call for additional scrutiny of the district's recordkeeping and to urge an inquiry into possible ethics concerns.

The resident, who gave a local address during their three-minute comment, said the district has paid recurring interest on short-term loans and raised questions about how earlier communications from the district's attorney and past staff were handled. The speaker said they had previously requested internal reviews and expressed concern about an "incongruent" record trail involving outside counsel and a former employee's computer files.

The commenter also urged the board to investigate what they described as a potential conflict related to an HR hire with personal ties to district leadership. The board did not take immediate action on those requests during the meeting; board members thanked business-office staff for the work on the audit and budget and did not announce any formal investigatory steps during the session.

The board's public-comment process limits speakers to three minutes; comments are recorded in meeting minutes and are usually referred to staff for any required follow-up in accordance with board policy.