Star Editorial
Stevensville School Board Chair Cathi Cook’s recent action to stop Gene Mim Mack, a parent, from commenting on the hiring of a coach after he had merely stated he had an objection is the most blatant attempt we have yet witnessed to silence public comment on an issue of public concern by preventing its utterance. Not only did the Chair violate this citizen’s right to speak in a public meeting and participate in the school’s decision-making process, it prevented the issue that really concerned him from even being entered into the public record.
Although this citizen and several others were “allowed” to speak to the board in private, none of that is on the public record. They don’t know what each other said and the public doesn’t know what anybody said, so we don’t know how or what was considered in the hiring of our volleyball coach.
If the issue is the teacher/coach’s DUI record, there is no presumption of privacy over a public record.
The Board chair owes Mr. Mim Mack and the rest of the public an apology for squelching his attempt to speak publicly in this case. After all, it was done self-consciously and in the most egregious fashion. It was not nice. It was not right. And it can’t possibly be legal.