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Board president renews call to resign after FOIA-related legal fees; member denies allegations
Summary
During a special meeting of the Moline-Coal Valley CUSD 40 Board of Education, a board leader said a fellow member's actions prompted a burdensome FOIA request and about $7,832.50 in legal fees and renewed a call for that member's resignation; the member responded, denying the allegations and saying social-media claims were untrue.
At a special meeting of the Moline-Coal Valley CUSD 40 Board of Education, the board president renewed a public call for a fellow member to resign and said the district has incurred about $7,832.50 in legal fees tied to a Freedom of Information Act request that the president described as "burdensome." "Because of JC Pencil's actions, this district has spent $7,832.50 in legal fees, countless staff hours, and has added valuable damage done in the reputation of this district," the president said during the consent-agenda discussion.
The president said the board previously adopted a resolution that "not only censured him but also requested his immediate resignation and a referral to the regional office of education for removal from this board." The president said the board has "done everything within its power to condemn the actions" of the member in question.
A board member who addressed the board in response denied the claims. "What's been claimed about me is not the truth," the speaker said, adding that there had been "no crime" and that they would pursue the matter "through the right channels" rather than in the meeting and not by social media.
No formal removal vote took place at the meeting. The exchange occurred during the consent-agenda discussion and led the board to proceed with other business after the statements were recorded. The president's remarks included specifics about legal fees and a previously passed censure resolution; the responding member framed the allegations as untrue and said they would respond through formal channels.
The board continued its agenda after the exchange. The meeting record shows the district is addressing the FOIA expense as an administrative matter; no additional disciplinary action was announced during the session.
