School Board Chairman Orders Halt to Press, Public Questions When Business Discussed

School Board chairman Brad Etheridge cracked down on the news media Tuesday.

By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

Levy County School Board Chairman Brad Etheridge launched an aggressive policy at Tuesday’s board meeting to crack down on news reporters he felt were asking too many questions and interrupting the flow of the meeting.

After being requested by Spotlight to clarify a policy that punishes students for violations of extracurricular activities, Etheridge said he would allow no more questions from the public or the news media during meetings.

Etheridge said he would allow questions and comments at the start of the meeting during the “welcome visitors” portion of the agenda and for a few minutes after school board meetings end.

The harmless question that drew Etheridge’s wrath was posed by a Spotlight reporter. The reporter raised his hand and asked if he could ask a question. Etheridge allowed him to speak.

Reporter: “May I ask one question. Out of school suspensions; as a lay person looking at the policy; OSS beyond one day in a 9 week period resulting in an extracurricular suspension for the next 30 days?”

Etheridge responded: “We’re probably going to change the way we do our board meetings, I guess. We’re not going to answer a question all throughout, so I guess we’re going to a separate time for a few minutes afterward; if the press wants to ask questions about stuff in a board meeting, we can’t just stop the board meeting in the middle to answer those questions. It’s not our duty for one thing and it’s disrupting to our discussions and decisions that we’re making.”

Reporter: “It’s not your duty to do it? It’s not your duty to respond to the public’s questions during a meeting?”

Etheridge: “We have a public comment at the beginning of the meeting. If you have questions at the end of it, I will and we’ll be willing to stay for a few minutes and answer those questions, but in the middle of the board meeting, we’re having a discussion, we’re not going to stop (for) a debating question like you just asked a minute ago.”

The period of time after a school board meets isn’t part of the official record. The minutes are not kept and the video camera that records the meeting is not operating. The comments by Etheridge after the meeting weren’t part of the official record.

Board Attorney David Delaney clarified Etheridge’s position after the meeting. He said state law allows the public and the news media to comment and ask questions of the board before a vote is taken on any pending motion.

The school board agenda doesn’t officially set aside time for public comment. The agenda contains one line that says “welcome visitors.” The chairman then asks for public comment. Visitors are rare in school board meetings, but those who don’t know that public comment is allowed are often caught by surprise when the chairman asks for comment in the welcome visitors segment.

Few meetings have visitors willing to challenge the board on any issue. Spotlight has received several complaints from parents and community members who feel the board was rude and bullied them when they attempted to raise an issue. Last year, the board attempted to encourage people to attend public hearings to discuss their legislative agenda but few people attended.

Etheridge was asked after the meeting why there wasn’t a line on the agenda giving visitors a chance to make public comments. He felt the welcome visitors’ line was enough because he asked for comment at that time. Etheridge asked Delaney what he thought.

“If there’s any confusion about it, you could do that. I was not under the impression that there was any doubt about what was happening,” Delaney said.

During the interview after the meeting, Etheridge accused the Spotlight of asking leading questions and told the reporter he wasn’t a board member.

“You are establishing a place amongst; you’re not a board member,” Etheridge said.

“I’m just asking questions,” the reporter said.

“But they’re leading questions,” responded Etheridge.

“Questions are questions,” the reporter responded.

“No they’re not,” Etheridge said.

Etheridge pointed to the question mentioned earlier about Out of School Suspensions as a leading question.

“I knew where you’re going with that when you asked that question a while ago – the intent of your question,” Etheridge said.

The question wasn’t leading.

Etheridge has complained previously as a board member about what he considers leading questions from the media.

Other board members haven’t made the allegation.

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