Dysart Board Commissions Investigation into Confidentiality Breach

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — 5/12/2022

Each Governing Board member has taken an oath of office that specifically requires the Board member to support and uphold the laws of the State of Arizona in the execution of their roles. This includes compliance with all aspects of the Arizona Open Meeting Law.

During this past spring, the Board has met in a closed, executive session regarding contract negotiations with the District’s chief executive officer, Dr. Quinn Kellis, as is permitted by the Open Meeting Law. The Open Meeting Law expressly forbids parties who attend the executive session or who receive confidential information as part of their duties from disseminating the confidential information discussed in executive session. The Arizona Attorney General’s office has the ability to seek penalties for violation of this confidentiality provision.

The news of the agenda item that the Board considered on May 11, 2022 appears to have been leaked to the general public from the Board’s discussions in executive sessions prior to the publication of the agenda on May 10, 2022. This violated the Board’s trust and was not authorized. Further, it generated reckless speculation as to what the Board might or might not do. This breach is a potential violation of the Open Meeting law and has been extremely detrimental to the Board’s ability to conduct its business.

Governing Board members are limited by law in their ability to comment regarding executive session discussions and are limited in their ability to respond on social media or to requests by the media for information. The breach that occurred hampered the Board’s ability to reach a fair and reasonable resolution with its superintendent. The Board respectfully requests all those interested in the potential resolution between the Board and Dr. Kellis maintain all professional courtesies due to all of the parties involved and understand the constraints imposed by the law.

The Board has requested that the Board as a whole consider the commissioning an investigation into the breach that occurred.