In San Francisco, Virus is Contained but Schools Are Still Closed

[Rob Wick]

I covered several boards in Illinois during my 14 years as a reporter and editor. I know the Open Meetings Act forward and backward. What happened here sounds to me like a definite violation of the act, but I can tell you from experience that most boards violate the act with impunity, because most news organizations don't want to commit the resources to fighting it in court. Even with the help of the Illinois Press Association, it's not cheap.

However, the only sanction that means anything in the act is that if a judge determines the act was violated, any action taken while in violation is null and void. In other words, all that would be required would be to call a meeting in accord with the act, allow public comment (there is no set amount of public comment that has to be allowed. Five minutes would be legal), and then vote to go ahead.

Most boards decide it's worth it, given how many newspapers won't fight it. Being that it's Chicago, I imagine this might have legs.

Best
Rob