Arizona attorney general sues Scottsdale school district and board member Greenburg

Arizona Lawyer Typical Mark Brnovich submitted a lawsuit from the Scottsdale Unified University District and board member Jann-Michael Greenburg, accusing them of violating Arizona’s Open up Meeting Legislation final summer months.

Brnovich contends the governing board, as a result of Greenburg, who was board president at the time, broke point out regulation on Aug. 17 when it issued information-based limitations on general public remark, allowing for men and women to only discuss about one of the agenda products.

Board members also violated the legislation when they cut off speakers who tried to give input on any other topic, such as a proposed mask mandate that was also on the agenda, in accordance to the attorney general’s criticism.

The complaint also says board associates were being in violation of the state’s Open Assembly Law on Aug. 23 when they restricted in-individual obtain in the boardroom when COVID-19 mitigation procedures ended up a person of the agenda items. The 39 individuals who resolved the board that evening experienced to wait around outside and enter the boardroom a single at a time.

Greenburg told The Arizona Republic at the time that the final decision to limit accessibility came at the guidance of law enforcement amid heightened tensions over face coverings.

The lawyer general also says Greenburg broke the regulation when he interrupted dad or mum Amanda Wray when she talked about a neo-Nazi propaganda comic reserve remaining dispersed at a university campus. When Wray accused a district personnel of distributing the materials, Greenburg claimed that wasn’t accurate.

Wray “correctly explained to Greenburg that he is not permitted to interrupt public opinions,” in accordance to the complaint.

As soon as Wray completed her opinions, Greenburg said he needed to make apparent that no district staff dispersed the material. After he was performed with his statement, he was caught on the microphone whispering to his colleagues, “Jesus f—— Christ, these persons.” He apologized immediately after mom and dad instructed him they had heard him.

“I did cuss on the mic and I’m pretty sorry about that. I apologize to our community, I apologize to my fellow board customers, to staff and dad and mom seeing. These points transpire,” he explained. “I have to acknowledge it was finished out of irritation.”

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Greenburg’s father, Mark Greenburg, is suing Wray for defamation for responses she produced about a leaked Google Drive folder that contained social media posts and other in depth info on dad and mom. Wray, in convert, submitted a lawsuit with other moms and dads past month in opposition to the district and Mark Greenburg more than the Google Travel.

District’s response

Three complaints had been submitted with the Legal professional General’s Place of work after these two meetings.

Soon after getting observe of the problems in November, the district despatched a reaction to the lawyer general in December, in accordance to SUSD spokesperson Kristine Harrington, who also reported the district hadn’t gained any additional information about it until finally it realized about the lawsuit.

Harrington explained the district doesn’t remark on pending litigation but maintains it complied with the Open up Meeting Law.

Lawyer Jennifer MacLennan wrote SUSD’s response, saying it was the district’s placement that state legislation permitted SUSD to limit remarks, citing a 1999 legal professional typical viewpoint. Brnovich argues the district’s position ignores that at the time the feeling was issued, the state Open Meeting Regulation was silent on no matter whether a general public entire body could make it possible for community remark.

MacLennan also wrote in the response that Wray had been permitted to end her remarks and concluded them a few seconds in advance of her time was up. She also argued that board users are authorized to tackle criticism and that Greenburg did not crack the legislation when he corrected Wray.

Masks, curriculum, ‘communism’: Scottsdale district, board deal with ongoing turmoil

The Arizona Republic reached out to Jann-Michael Greenburg for remark but did not hear back.

Brnovich is inquiring that a judge issue an buy that:

• Prohibits the district from covering any of Greenburg’s authorized service fees.

• Declares SUSD and Greenburg violated condition Open Meeting Law and enters a judgment necessitating them to comply with the legislation.

• Imposes a civil penalty on Greenburg to be compensated to the district in the highest total allowed underneath the law.

• Awards all other reduction less than the Open up Assembly Law, including buying proper steps to protect against violations or eliminating Greenburg from place of work.

• Awards the Legal professional General’s Office his attorneys’ fees and prices.

Jann-Michael Greenburg’s phrase is up in January. He by now has declared he is not running for reelection.

Brnovich, who has served as lawyer standard since 2015, is jogging for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate.

Greenburg, SUSD on the very hot seat again

This just isn’t the initial time the Greenburgs or the Scottsdale university district have been the subject of controversy in latest months.

In November, several mother and father and some of Jann-Michael Greenburg’s colleagues on the board referred to as for his resignation right after information of his father’s files containing facts on parents who had been essential of the district came out.

The governing board isn’t going to have the electric power to oust Jann-Michael Greenburg from the board, but members did eliminate him as president of the board.

At the similar time, Superintendent Scott Menzel announced a district investigation into the information to see if any district resources have been applied to build or maintain the documents. In February, the district introduced the results of the investigation, which concluded no university formal used district personal computers in link with the push.

The Scottsdale Police Office also investigated the information and interviewed numerous mother and father, which includes Wray, and concluded that no prison conduct beneath its jurisdiction had been dedicated.

Mark Greenburg, in his lawsuit against Wray, accused her of defaming him and invading his privacy by sharing a duplicate of his own Google Push folder.

Wray, on the other hand, is accusing Mark Greenburg of defamation for accumulating information and facts on a bankruptcy for anyone with a comparable identify but who is not her. Her lawsuit argues that Mark Greenburg shared that file with his son and two other folks and by wrongfully associating the bankruptcy with her could harm her occupation as a financial adviser.

Get to the reporter at [email protected] or at 480-267-4703. Abide by her on Twitter @renataclo. 

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This posting initially appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona legal professional standard sues Scottsdale faculty district, board member