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Board discusses complaint-handling policy; attorney recommends rewrite to match current law
Summary
Trustees debated policy KL procedures after prior cases raised questions about what the board may investigate. District counsel Don Landon told the board the existing policy is poorly drafted and the board typically may only affirm or return investigation findings unless policy is changed.
President Tom Hendricks opened discussion on policy KL, which governs how the district processes complaints that reach the board. District attorney Don Landon told trustees the policy "is not very well drafted" and recommended a thorough review and update to align with current law and collective-bargaining protections.
"The policy needs to be cleaned up again to make sure that you're addressing the initial complaint that is made and investigated, not something new when it gets to the board," Landon said, adding that later material submitted as part of step 6 can effectively create a new complaint that must go back through the investigation process. Landon also warned that the current drafting could create impractical hearing requirements and recommended tailoring timelines and procedures to different complaint types (bullying vs. performance).
Trustees asked whether the board may conduct its own investigations; Landon said the board could do so only if the policy is revised to permit that approach, and cautioned about notice and representation rights in employment-related inquiries. Trustees agreed the policy requires cleanup; there was no action taken at this meeting other than direction to legal staff to redraft the policy language for future consideration.
