Residents split as public commenters press board over litigation, trustee conduct and cell-tower concern

Public comment at the Douglas County School District Board of Trustees meeting drew a mix of praise and criticism for board members tied to recent litigation and personnel decisions. Several speakers praised four trustees for actions they described as restoring authority and addressing curricular concerns; others cited a judge’s finding and urged trustees to step down. One commenter said the district incurred roughly $166,000 in legal costs related to document production, and another said efforts to avoid settlement raised the district’s expense by an additional amount.

Trustee conduct and litigation were the principal themes. Nicolas Meyer commended "Mr. Burns, Mr. Englekirk, Mrs. Dickerson and Mrs. Jansen" for their work, and several other attendees offered similar praise. At least one online commenter, Leslie Hokensen, asked, "Why would any board member be allowed to go to any school functions when they have been found guilty of lying and withholding evidence and found guilty by a judge in Douglas County? What does this say to students?" Rhiannan Kamper told trustees she had appealed a planning commission approval for a Verizon cell tower located near a school and said the appeal will be heard April 3; the board set a special meeting for March 13 to discuss the matter.

The meeting record shows some tension about facts and attendance. Casey Rogers criticized what she called “lawfare,” saying the district "lost $166,000 for not getting documents to them fast enough" and that a different settlement option would have cost $70,000; she urged trustees to prioritize students over legal disputes. The board's legal counsel, Ryan Russell, reminded commenters to limit remarks to matters under the board's control and to avoid personal attacks.

The public comment period produced a range of claims and counterclaims but no formal board action on litigation. The board did set a March 13 special meeting to address the cell tower issue raised by speakers and recorded public appeals and online submissions in the meeting packet.