001Right. So, the special meeting is reconvened at 6:02 p.m. Would anyone like to make a motion for action? I'd like to make a motion that we assign a special hearing. Oh, sorry. Forget uh special hearing. uh what was the word >> officer? >> Thank you. Sorry. Uh a special hearings officer to hear um the appeal that is that has been put before the board. Uh and the decision would be made by the president who the person um who's assigned to hear the appeal. >> There a second. >> Second. >> Okay. discussion. >> Darby, would you care to explain why? [laughter] >> Yes, I will make some comments um in discussion with respect to this motion. Um so the motion to designate an independent hearing officer to hear an upcoming appeal on the board's behalf um
002is important because of the nature and the uh parties involved in this upcoming appeal and the importance of the uh fairness doctrine that school boards are required to align with to ensure that not only in practicality but also in appearance that fairness is presumed above all else, if you will. And so, given the parties involved in this upcoming appeal, I think it is um important that the board uh take this action um to support this motion. I've often wondered about this role that schoolboard members have in terms of appeals. I've often uh not that we can't listen and see if someone followed procedure or not, but I just I just wonder if maybe there are people who are better suited to hear these appeals. So, in the future, I'd be open to having this option
003available to us more often um than just assuming that the board would be hearing the appeal. It just feels like someone with more experience might be able to contribute to the process in a better way than we can. >> Uh do either of you know is there any wasda policy for independent um hearing people or anything? Is there any kind of there's other school districts that have policy around this? Are we aware of any kind of example policy that's out there I was or otherwise. >> We could we could ask about what what policies might be more likely related to having a a a hearings officer, you know, versus other other policies that have appeals to the board. We could ask that question. Um, I wouldn't I don't know that I would jump completely on
004board with that because I like the idea of local control and making some of these decisions if the appeal is relevant. If there's parties involved that would require fairness doctrine like like uh Darby spoke about an indep independent hearing person would be an option and could or should be added to the policy. I wouldn't be opposed to that. Um, but I do like the idea of the board keeping local control on most of those appeal um hearings where they may not be directly um I I don't I don't know that it's a question of local control because we are choosing when to use a hearings officer. That that is not how I look at it. It it is just having the choice I think. And so you asked if was had model policy. It's within
005our control to decide whether to adopt that or not and what policies those were associated with. Asking for model policy does not take away our local control at all. All right. Any further discussion? Okay. So, I will call the question and go back to here. All those in favor of designating an independent hearing officer to heal an hear an upcoming appeal on the board's behalf to be uh selected designated by the board president or designate. Please signify by saying I. >> I. >> Any opposed? All right. Motion passes. Thank you very much. And with no further business coming before the board, this uh special meeting is adjourned at 6:07 p.m. Thanks all. >> Thank you.