Application process for open school board seat re-opens

Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland School Board has been functioning with only four members since Kevin Dougherty resigned effective June 30. As previously reported the board of education appointed Dr. Brad Goldie on July 17 to the unexpired term but later had to rescind their vote. (School Board calls special meeting to rescind appointment of new member)

Then, because, of the circumstances of the Board missing the deadline to re-vote and re-affirm Goldie’s appointment, Ohio Law requires the decision to now be made by the Hamilton County Probate Court. That court has now requested that persons interested in being appointed apply directly to the court administrator.

Applications are due by September 1, however, the administrator has not responded to Loveland Magazine’s phone request inquiring about when the Probate Court intends to make the appointment.

The circumstance arose after the Board’s meeting of July 17 when they met in an open session to interview prospective candidates via phone calls, and voted to appoint Goldie, but later learned that all of the doors to the building were locked and the public could not attend the meeting. After receiving advice from their lawyer that if the doors were indeed locked the meeting was a violation of Ohio’s open meetings law the Board then met on July 26 and rescinded the vote to appoint Goldie.

The District’s attorney then called the Hamilton County Probate Court informing it what had happened and that the time allowance for the Board to make the appointment had passed. The District has received no further communication from the court except that they were requested to post the new application process on the District website, which they did.

The Board also communicated to the court that they have reaffirmed their support for Dr. Goldie to fill the unexpired term.

Meanwhile on July 18, attorney Curt Hartman on behalf of a client made a public records request for “all video or audiovisual recordings within the interior and the exterior of the Board Administrative Offices from July 17, 2023, from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm all video footage from inside and outside cameras at the building.” There is no indication that Hartman has followed up with legal action since receiving the files which were mailed to him on a flash drive.

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HERE IS HOW TO NOW APPLY FOR THE VACANT SEAT AS POSTED ON THE WEBSITE OF THE HAMILTON COUNTY PROBATE COURT

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