Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules For Open Meetings Advocates

The Wisconsin Supreme Court sided with open meetings advocates Thursday in a case involving the Appleton Area School District.

In 2011, Appleton parent John Krueger was concerned about the district using books containing profanity and sexual content for a ninth grade class. When district staff held meetings in response to his concern, they weren’t open to the public.

The court ruled Thursday those meetings should have been open.

“Parental and public involvement in education is, in my opinion, indispensable, and is legislatively protected by the Open Meetings Law,” Justice Shirley Abrahamson wrote in her concurring decision.

The Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty argued the case, with briefs filed in support by the state Department of Justice, the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Counsel, Wisconsin Newspaper Association and Wisconsin Broadcasters Association.

“This is a case about public access to the workings of government, and it’s an area that a lot of people care about,” said Tom Kamenick, deputy counsel at the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty.

Lee Allinger, superintendent of Appleton school district, released a statement Thursday, saying the district never intended to be in violation of open meetings laws.

“The district will certainly take all necessary measures to ensure our practices will be in complete compliance with the Supreme Court’s decision, now and on a going forward basis,” the statement reads.

The school district was supported in the case with briefs filed by several local government and school administration groups, including the Wisconsin Counties Association, League of Wisconsin Municipalities and Wisconsin Association of School Boards.

The court ruled unanimously in the case.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 4:29 p.m. Thursday, June 29, 2017, to include original reporting from WPR.