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Board fails to approve censure after counsel says member shared colleagues’ phone numbers
Summary
Corporate counsel told the board a member had shared other trustees’ personal phone numbers with a member of the public; the board considered a resolution authorizing a letter of censure but the motion failed (3 in favor, 4 opposed, 2 abstentions) after the accused member argued the contact information was public record.
The board considered and rejected a proposed resolution authorizing a letter of censure for a trustee after legal counsel reported that a board member had shared personal phone numbers of other trustees with a member of the public.
Corporate counsel Davis Rundy told the board his review concluded a member shared colleagues’ personal cell numbers in response to a public records request; counsel said the conduct violated the board’s bylaws (policy 0144.5) requiring members to treat one another with respect. The proposed resolution would have authorized a formal letter of censure to be issued to the trustee in question.
Board member Abby Maddock read a prepared response into the record objecting to the censure process and arguing contact information used by elected officials for public business is a public record. She said the numbers had been provided to facilitate constituent access to elected representatives and that she had been denied advance access to the underlying memorandum she was being asked to be censured for.
After discussion the board voted; the result was three in favor, four opposed and two abstentions, so the resolution failed. Trustees debated both the substance of sharing contact information and the need for clear bylaws that define acceptable conduct regarding members’ personal contact details and public records.
What’s next: The failed motion leaves no formal reprimand in place; board members discussed clarifying procedures for handling constituent contact information and the handling of sensitive communications among trustees.
