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Board member alleges secret votes, files writ and says matter referred to DOJ
Summary
Board member Miss Brescia alleged the board convened illegal secret meetings and an unauthorized vote to instruct the superintendent to investigate her private speech; she said she filed a petition for a writ of mandamus and indicated a court date of Aug. 18 and referred the matter to the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Civil Rights.
During board member comments, Miss Brescia accused fellow board members of holding secret meetings and conducting an illegal vote to instruct the superintendent to investigate her private speech. She told the board she had filed a petition for a writ of mandamus and said the case is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 18 at 11 a.m.
"This illegal vote was to improperly direct the superintendent to become a political weapon and conduct a baseless investigation into my private speech," Brescia said, asserting that the board's actions violated Virginia FOIA and her First Amendment rights. She said she had provided documentary evidence to back her claims and that the matter had been referred to the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Civil Rights.
The board did not debate the substance of her allegations at the meeting. Brescia said members would receive litigation-hold notices and FOIA requests for public records related to the matter, and she urged the board to stop using board resources for legal actions she described as unrelated to student success. No board vote or formal response was recorded at the meeting record to contradict or confirm her claims.
