THE JUDGE IN THE CIVIL BENCH TRIAL OVER A LAWSUIT FILED BY FORMER SIOUX CITY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT DR. PAUL GAUSMAN AGAINST THE SIOUX CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND FOUR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS HAS ISSUED A NEW RULING IN THE CASE.
JUDGE JEFFREY NEARY HAS PRESIDED OVER THE CASE INVOLVING TWO ALLEGED OPEN MEETINGS VIOLATIONS BY THE SCHOOL BOARD IN 2022 EVALUATING GASUSMAN’S JOB PERFORMANCE.
HE EARLIER RULED THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT’S MEETING IN CLOSED SESSION ON JANUARY 24, 2022, DID VIOLATE THE IOWA OPEN MEETINGS ACT, BUT DID NOT IN A SECOND MEETING LATER THAT YEAR ON NOVEMBER 30TH.
IN HIS LATEST RULING ON THE JANUARY MEETING, THE JUDGE RULED THAT DAN GREENWELL, THE SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT AT THE TIME, DID NOT ACT IN GOOD FAITH, BUT RATHER ACTED VINDICTIVE IN NATURE BY LETTING HIS ANIMOSITY FOR DR. GAUSMAN CLOUD HIS OBJECTIVITY AND ABILITY TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER WHETHER A CLOSED SESSION WAS APPROPRIATE.
THE COURT ALSO CONCLUDED THAT THE REMAINING BOARD MEMBERS, TAYLOR GOODVIN, JAN GEORGE, AND ROBERT MICHAELSON BELIEVED WHAT THEY PLANNED TO DISCUSS IN THE FIRST PORTION OF THE JANUARY 24, 2022, CLOSED SESSION WAS AN ETHICAL MATTER AND IT WAS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THEIR EVALUATION OF DR. GAUSMAN THAT WAS TO TAKE PLACE LATER THAT EVENING.
GREENWELL WAS ASSESSED DAMAGES OF A $500 COURT FEE AND IS TO BE ASSESSED THE COURT COSTS AND THE REASONABLE ATTORNEY FEES OF DR. GAUSMAN.
THOSE ATTORNEY FEES SHALL BE ASSESSED FOLLOWING A SEPARATE HEARING AND SUBMISSION OF THE REQUESTED FEES BY DR. GAUSMAN, WHO IS NOW SERVING AS SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT OF THE LINCOLN, NEBRASKA DISTRICT.
DAN GREENWELL HAS RELEASED A STATEMENT SAYING IN PART HE IS ‘VERY PLEASED THE COURT RULED THAT DIRECTORS MICHAELSON, GEORGE, AND GOODVIN ACTED IN GOOD FAITH AND WERE NOT ASSESSED”.
GREENWELL ALSO STATED THAT HE “BELIEVES THE COURT HAD SOME ITEMS CORRECT IN ITS RULING WHILE HE DISAGREE WITH OTHERS”.
HE SAYS HE “HAS A STRONG PERSONALITY AND SOUGHT AND EXPECTED IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION AND HAS CONSISTENTLY MADE HARD DECISIONS AND EMBRACED FRANK DISCUSSIONS FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR STUDENTS, STAFF, AND TAXPAYERS AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO IN THE FUTURE.”
