Transparency News, 9/28/21

Another write-up — plus police body cam footage — of the Suffolk School Board case where a citizen was told she could not be in the same room where the board retreat was taking place and was escorted out of the building by a police officer.
WAVY

President Jonathan Alger’s contract at JMU has been renewed for another five years, per a unanimous vote at today’s Board of Visitors (BoV) meeting. The BoV went into closed session for 1 hour and 30 minutes to discuss President Alger’s contract, along with other matters exempt from open session discussions. However, the meeting agenda didn’t mention a vote on a renewal of Alger’s contract.
The Breeze

When a new Virginia law took effect last year letting charities run Texas Hold ‘Em poker tournaments, the charitable gaming industry, usually associated with fading bingo halls, was eager to get going.  Maybe a little too eager, according to lobbyist Matt Benka, who warned state officials on behalf of the now-dissolved Virginia Charitable Poker Association in July 2020 that potentially illegal poker rooms were popping up before the state had approved any regulations or permits. The lack of permits hasn’t stopped Chuck Lessin, the chairman of the state’s Charitable Gaming Board, from opening a poker room, Pop’s Poker, at his Richmond bingo hall and sports bar. Lessin has also started a for-profit poker operations company other charities can hire to run their games. Lessin has at least one lawmaker in his corner. Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax, who sponsored the Texas Hold ‘Em legislation in 2020, is representing Lessin in his lawsuit against VDACS.  Prior to the lawsuit, Petersen filed a public-records request with VDACS for poker-related documents. The Virginia Mercury obtained the same records from the agency, which claimed some of the records Petersen requested were fully exempt from the Freedom of Information Act and made extensive redactions to other documents.
Virginia Mercury

A judge recently ruled against a Front Royal man who questioned the legality of a Town Council appointment earlier this year. Paul L. Aldrich sued the Town Council and Jacob Meza, who was appointed a Town County member in January, in Warren County Circuit Court. The complaint claims that the council violated the Front Royal Town Charter by appointing Meza to fill a vacant seat created when then-Councilman Christopher W. Holloway won the mayoral election and took office Jan. 1. Meza had finished a term on the council and left office Dec. 31. Council members approved Meza’s appointment to fill the vacancy on Jan. 4. Meza, an employee of Valley Health, has since resigned from council, leaving in late July.   David Downes filed the lawsuit in January on Aldrich’s behalf. The suit argued that the council could not appoint a recent member of council to a vacant seat so soon after the member had left office. The lawsuit asked the court to declare the appointment void and to nullify all of Meza’s acts as a councilman after Jan. 4.
The Northern Virginia Daily

The issue of masks dominated September’s meeting of the King William County School Board, a meeting that went into recess because some members of the audience refused to wear masks. The board closed down the meeting for about 10 minutes because approximately 10 people in the audience refused to comply with the order to wear masks. The meeting Sept. 21 resumed when they complied.
Tidewater Review
 

College football fans are the best. In no other sport will you find a fan base trying to submit a Freedom of Information Act request over a potentially missed call. That is the case with one Texas A&M fan. Late in the game, the Aggies threw an interception that swung the momentum away from the seventh-ranked team in the country. The Hogs took advantage of the short field and added three points on the proceeding drive to create a 10-point lead that held through the final whistle. The officials gathered after the play and had a conversation amongst themselves. Nothing ended up coming of the discussion and the game continued without interruption. While it is unclear as to what the discourse was about, “trueaggie2782” wants to know. He believes that the referees might have been debating a blown call that screwed Texas A&M. The Aggie fan is looking to file an FOIA to find out what was said and solve the mystery.
brobible

editorials & opinion

What can Mona Lisa and John-Ralphio Saperstein tell us about FOIA (and life): don’t be so suspicious.
Megan Rhyne, VCOG’s Substack Newsletter