Houghton Lake board votes 5-0 to permanently expel student after closed-door discipline hearing

Houghton Lake Community Schools Board of Education members voted unanimously on Oct. 27 to permanently expel Student #2025-26-02 following a closed-session discipline hearing.

The motion, made by Jeske and supported by Oster, states the board will "permanently expel Student #2025-26-02." The board also directed the administration to provide the student access to his education and to provide regular counseling. The motion specified that any future reinstatement would be contingent on completion of regular counseling and a psychological evaluation.

Before the closed hearing, the board appointed Superintendent Williams as the district's Discipline Hearing Officer by a 5-0 vote (motion by Oster, supported by Boals). The board then moved into closed session under the Michigan Open Meetings Act, Section 8(b), to consider the student-discipline matter; that motion passed 5-0 (motion by Halliday, supported by Souder).

The board returned to open session at 7:12 PM, approved the closed-session minutes by a 5-0 vote, and then took formal action to expel the student. The expulsion motion was recorded as passing 5-0. Present for all votes were Oster, Boals, Souder, Halliday and Jeske; Christian and Whittington were recorded as absent.

The board's action directs the district to continue providing educational access and counseling services to the expelled student; the motion ties any future reinstatement to the completion of regular counseling and a psychological evaluation. The record identifies the student only by the district number Student #2025-26-02; no name or other personal identifiers appear in the public minutes.

The special meeting adjourned at 7:13 PM. The board's formal actions and the cited Open Meetings Act authority were recorded in the meeting minutes.