Board tables solicitor appointment after heated public comments and long debate

The McGuffey School Board voted to table a motion to appoint Rebecca Hall of Weiss Burkhart Kramer as the district solicitor after an extended and often contentious debate and numerous public comments urging transparency and change.

The appointment was introduced as a motion from the floor; several board members immediately moved to table the appointment, arguing that not all board members had opportunity to review candidate materials or attend prior interviews. Supporters of immediate action said delays would prolong instability and that the solicitor position needed to be filled promptly. After more than an hour of discussion the board voted to table the motion; the tabling will return as an agenda item at the June meeting.

The decision followed an intense public-comment period in which multiple residents told the board that bullying and staff conduct were driving families into cyber charter options and that a lack of transparency and inconsistent legal advice from the current solicitor had damaged trust. Commenters named specific personnel and called for the board to seek new legal counsel, while some urged the board to act quickly rather than postpone. One parent read a long, written account of alleged in-school bullying and asked the district to fund an out-of-district placement if the problems could not be resolved.

Board members differed on process. Some said previous interviews (held in October) had produced a clear majority preference for the incumbent firm and that revisiting the selection within 48 hours was unwarranted; others said several members, including newer trustees, deserved time to review materials and ask questions before voting. Multiple trustees urged following a collective process—either interviewing top candidates as a board or issuing a public request for proposals—rather than taking one member's near-term motion as final.

Outcome and next steps: the motion to table carried; the solicitor appointment will be reintroduced at the June meeting. Several trustees suggested inviting the candidate who had been motioned back for an individual interview before the June vote or, alternatively, asking the top three previously interviewed firms to return. The board also said it would set a date for follow-up interviews and promised additional executive-session work to address any litigation-sensitive material.

What this means: The tabling leaves the current solicitor in place until the board acts; it also keeps the question of process and whether to pursue a broader solicitation or limited interviews on the public record. Community members who spoke demanded clearer procedures and more timely follow-up from the board.