RENO, Nev. (KRNV & MyNews4.com) - Parents at one area elementary schools are demanding answers about why the principal was put on administrative leave, but the district isn’t disclosing details saying it’s a personnel issue.
The Fact Finder Team asked the government agency for their legal justification for withholding information when the safety of children or your tax dollars could be at risk. A spokesperson sent over two state Supreme Court cases as explanation - one from 1990 and another from 2000. But instead of answering our questions about why the information is being withheld, both cases just raised additional concerns. That's because each of court rulings actually required agencies to turn over some information.
So just to be clear here - the District says they can't give concerned parents information because of these two court cases which actually do the opposite and demand information be given over; furthermore, the later court case from 2000 basically says an agency can't just flat deny a request for an information - which they are doing. The court's opinion reads quote: "the burden is cast upon the agency to explain why the records should not be furnished." News 4 went back to District headquarters for clarification and they declined an on-camera interview responding instead with this statement:
“Our interpretation of the case law is that the court upheld that certain employee information is not public record."
News 4 requested additional information about what the word "certain" means in that statement - but the Washoe County School District has not yet gotten back to us. So until they do, News 4 is going to be taking up that parent question – doing everything we can to independently figure out what happened with the principal. If you know anything, please send us an e-mail to factfinder@mynews4.com.
