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Board debates Lakeview staff handbook clause on employee communication with trustees
Summary
Board members and administrators debated language in the Lakeview staff handbook that would limit staff communication with board members outside approved protocols; one trustee said the clause could be read as infringing employees' rights while administrators said the district attorney cleared the language.
Board members reviewed a confidentiality section in the Lakeview staff handbook that says staff "must not communicate with board of education members regarding school matters outside of established protocols" and that unauthorized communication may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.
A trustee said the clause "could be interpreted as an infringement of [employees'] rights," citing concerns about First Amendment and whistleblower protections and recommended revising the language and establishing a policy requiring board approval of staff handbooks. The trustee said disciplining staff simply for speaking to a board member could be challenged as unlawful retaliation if it conflicts with federal or state protections.
Other board members and the superintendent said the board's attorney reviewed the handbook language and found it consistent with district policy and applicable contracts. "Our attorney believes that the language is fine," one member said, adding that the provision aligns with encouraging staff to follow the chain of command. The chair suggested the policy committee should consider any proposed changes and that blanket policy changes should not be made on the spot.
No policy change was adopted at the meeting; members agreed to move potential revisions through the policy committee for review and to involve bargaining-unit leadership in discussions where appropriate.
