Tulsa Police Confirm TPS Board Member Filed Report Against Other Board Members

A Tulsa Public Schools Board Member filed a police report against other board members.

While Tulsa Police did not give the details of that report, Board Member Jennettie Marshall previously said the board violated the Open Meeting Act when it appointed the new TPS Superintendent.

Marshall said two weeks ago she would file a police report against other board members- but did not say what happened in the executive session of the meeting to appoint Dr. Ebony Johnson as Superintendent that was against the law.

"Tulsa is no stranger to violating its own policies, and for the manipulation and corruption and divisiveness in the policy making process,” said Marshall, two weeks ago.

Marshall said she could not explain what the violation was because that would also go against the law.

Joey Senat, an Associate Professor at Oklahoma State University, says the law does not stop officials from letting people know what happens behind closed doors.

"The Open Meeting Act does not prohibit discussion of what was discussed in an executive session, they can by and large talk about it,” said Senat.

Experts say its unusual for a police report to be filed on an Open Meeting Act violation.

"It's rare, in terms of my experience, that a police report would be filed because the police do not typically enforce this act,” said Kurt Gwartney, the Executive Director of FOI Oklahoma, “The act is typically enforced by District Attorneys, also the Attorney General."

When board members go into executive session- it has to be for a specific reason, like talking to lawyers, talking about firing or hiring someone, or talking about students.

"The most important reason we have these laws is to allow the public to keep an eye on them, just to be honest about it,” said Gwartney. “On what the government, what public officials, what public bodies are doing on their behalf."

Senat says public officials are expected to know what’s in the act and make sure they are always following it.

"I warn them, it may seem easy to get away with because the public's not watching you, but sooner or later, it comes to light,” said Senat.

If members of the TPS School Board are investigated and found to be in violation of the Open Meeting Act, they can face up to a $500 fine and a year in jail.

News On 6 submitted an Open Records Request for the police report but do not yet have it.

News On 6 also reached out to Marshall but did not hear back.