Ms Bhattacharjee, could you please write a story on the ethics complaints that have been made about the superintendent?

The superintendent of Seattle Public Schools, Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson, has a seat on the Board of the Alliance for Education. She also has a seat on the Board of the Council of Great City Schools. The District has business dealings with both of these organizations.

State laws on conflicts of interest (RCW 42.23.030, 42.23.040) require the superintendent to disclose her relationship with these outside organizations that contract with the District. The laws also prohibit her from participating in the decision to do business with either of them. The superintendent, however, did not disclose her relationship with either of these organizations nor did she hold herself apart from the District's discussion or decision to contract with them. She broke these laws.

There really isn't any doubt about this. The disclosures had to come in the meetings of the Board meetings and they aren't there. The superintendent filed a disclosure statement which was a part of the minutes of a Board meeting and that disclosure statement - which specifically has a space for board seats for non-profits - did not include these two organizations. At the bottom of the disclosure statement was the superintendent's statement that the list was complete to the best of her knowledge. That was, of course, a false statement and therefore a violation of another state law, RCW 9A.76.175.

These undisclosed conflicts of interest have consequences. Not only are they misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors - crimes - any contracts made in violation of those laws are void. Not voidable at the district's option, but voided by statute. That means that any money the district paid these folks was not a legal obligation but a gift. And, as we all know, it is a violation of the Washington State Constitution for state or local government (such as school districts) to make gifts to private companies.

The ethics complaints are working their way through the system, but they will soon come before the Board. Then it will be up to the Board to decide what consequences to impose. These casual conflicts of interest create significant legal and financial vulnerabilities for the District. The Board needs to take them seriously. If the Board blows this off they will prove that their "everyone accountable" slogan is a lie and they will prove that they aren't really serious about responding to the state audit that scolded them for their lax compliance with laws and policies.

A story in The Stranger about this would be a good start.