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Philomath SD 17J board to hear 10 complaints Oct. 7; two allege free-speech violation
Summary
The Philomath SD 17J board voted unanimously in a brief special session to accept two additional complaints against board member Aaron Gudge and two separate complaints challenging the board's complaint process on free-speech grounds. The board scheduled a public hearing for Oct. 7 at 6 p.m. and set procedures for written and verbal comments.
The Philomath School District 17J board voted unanimously during a short special session to accept two additional complaints to be bundled with six earlier complaints regarding a social media post by board member Aaron Gudge, and to accept two separate complaints alleging the board's complaint process infringes free-speech rights. The board set a public hearing for Oct. 7 at 6:00 p.m. to consider the matters.
The Chair opened the meeting at 6:00 p.m. and said the two new complaints against Aaron Gudge would be added to the existing set of six and handled together. A committee member made the motion to accept the two additional complaints "and they will be handled in the same process as the original 6," which the Chair seconded. The Chair then called the question; the board recorded the vote as unanimous (5-0).
The Chair also described two separate complaints that challenge the board's complaint process itself, saying those filings assert the process is "inappropriate, based on a freedom of speech claim." A committee member moved that the board accept those two board-directed complaints and handle them under the same hearing procedures but separately from the complaints against Director Aaron Gudge; the Chair seconded and the motion passed by the same unanimous vote.
"We will conduct this hearing next Tuesday, October 7, starting at 6PM," the Chair said, announcing the schedule. The Chair said complainants would receive a confirmation email the following day outlining the process, that they may submit additional written comments by the end of the week if they wish, and that those who appear in person will have "the chance to make verbal testimony, for 10 minutes each." The board said it will administer the process for the board-directed complaints first and then hear the complaints relating to Director Gudge later that evening.
The board said it is finalizing a suitable location for the Oct. 7 hearing and that the Chair will coordinate logistics with the superintendent before sending notices to complainants. The Chair adjourned the meeting at 6:06 p.m.
The special session recorded acceptance of both sets of complaints and set procedures for public input; no formal findings or disciplinary decisions were made at this meeting. The board's next substantive step is the Oct. 7 public hearing, when complainants will be able to present written and oral testimony.
