Ethics questions addressed at meeting

A Clark County Board of Education meeting Monday night ended in fireworks when the discussion of a motion to potentially replace the board’s attorney turned to a Kentucky Attorney General investigation of one of the board’s members.

INVESTIGATEWHETHER A CLARKCOUNTY SCHOOLBOARD MEMBER'SFAMILY BUSINESSMADE MONEY OFF ASCHOOLCONSTRUCTIONPROJECT.OUR REPORT DREWSTRONG REACTIONAND CRITICISM ATLAST NIGHT'S BOARDOF EDUCATIONMEETING.

LEX 18'SLEIGH SEARCY HASTHE UPATE.MONDAY NIGHT'SSCHOOL BOARDMEETING WAS TENSERIGHT OUT OF THEGATE.VICE CHAIR BILLTAULBEE: 12:20 I'DLIKE TO ASK MRS.RICHARDS TONOCONSIDERRECUSINGHERSELF FROMTHIS BOARDMEETING ANDFUTURE BOARDMEETINGS UNTILTHE ATTORYNEGENERAL'S OFFICECONCLUDES THEIRINVESTIGATION.BD MEMBERSHERRYRICHARDSON:UNDER THEADVISEMENT OF MYPERSONALATTORNEY, I AM ABOARD MEMBERUNTIL I'M REMOVEDSO I WILL STAY ANDVOTECLARK COUNTYBOARD MEMBERSHERRYRICHARDSON ISUNDERINVESTIGATION BYTHE ATTORNEYGENERAL'S OFFICEAFTER ANALLEGATION HERFAMILY'S COMPANYMADE THOUSANDSOF DOLLARS OFFTHIS PUBLICLYFUNDED SCHOOLSPORTS COMPLEX.INVOICEREPORTS...INDICATEHER FAMILY'SBUSINESS-HOWARD'SOVERHEAD DOORS,WAS PAID MORETHAN 85 THOUSANDDOLLARS FROM THEPROJECT'S MAINCONTRACTOR.... FORDOORS IT INSTALLEDON THE FACILITIES.KENTUCKY STATUTESTATES NO PERSONSHALL BELI EGIBLEFOR MEMBERSHIPON A BOARD OFEDUCATION WHOHAS DIRECT ORINDIRECT INTERESTSIN SUPPLIES,EQUIPMENT ORSERVICES PAID WITHSCHOOL FUNDS.RICHARDSON'SATTORNEY TOLD USHE DOESN'T BELIEVESHE VIOLATED ANYRULES TO BE ON ASCHOOL BOARD.TAULBEE: 29:17 IASKED YOU TORECUSE YOURSELFRICHARDSON TOEXCUSE MYSELFSO TO NOT HAVE AVOTETHE TENSION ROSEA NOTCH WHEN THEBOARD DISCUSSEDRICHARDSON'SORIGINAL MOTIONO TPOSSIBLY SEEK ANEW SCHOOL BOARDATTORNEY TOREPLACE THECURRENT ONE WHOREPORTED THEALLEGED CONFLICTOF INTEREST.TAULBEE: "I'DRATHER TABLE THISUNTIL AFTER ALLTHEINVESTIGATIONSARE OVER WITHAND UNTIL THEATTORNEYGENERAL RULESRICHARDSON:2:2006:RICHARDSON: ITHINK IT'S A BOARDTHAT NEEDS TOFEELCOMFORTABLE ANDWHEN YOU HAVE ANATTORNEY THATDOESN'T SUPPORTONE OF ITS BOARDMEMBERS I THINKTHAT'S AN ISSUERICHARDSONSTOOD HERGROUND.RICHARDSON 29:25MY PERSONALATTORNEY HASASSURED ME BILL,THAT I'M FINE HEREBECAUSE THEREHAS NOT BEEN ARULING AND THAT'SEXACT WLYHAT IASKED LEIGHSEARCY FROMCHANNEL 18 IF SHEWOULD WAIT TO AIRTHIS UNTIL THEATTORNEYGENERAL HASMADE THEIRRULING: IT'SUNFORTUNATEWHAT THEY PUTOUT THERE IS NOTFACTUAL, IT'SSOMETHING THAT'SBEEN HANDED TOTHEM AND NOINVESTIGATION HASBEEN DONEWE VERIFIED THEINFORMATION IN OURFIRSTREPORT...THROUGHINDEPENDENTLYOBTAINEDDOCUMENTS ANDFROM MULTIPLESOURCESINVOICE REPORTSINDICATE HOWARD'SRECEIVED 7 CHECKSIN THESE VARYINGAMOUNTS...FROMJUNE 2019 THROUGHJANUARY OF 2020.....WHEN RICHARDSONWAS ON THESCHOOL BOARD.WE'VE MADE ITCLEAR THE AG'SOFFICE WILL BE THEONE TO SEE IFRULES WEREBROKEN.MEANWHILE...ONE BOARDMEMBER SAYSTHERE COULD BEREASONABLEEXPLANATION BUTSHE'S ALSO WAITINGFOR THE AG'SOPINION.BRENDA C I FEELLIKE I UNDERSTANDTHE WAY THINGSWORK THE WAYBIDS ARE TAKEN,THE BID WAS TAKENPRIOR TO HERBECOMING ABOARD MEMBER SOTHAT'S MYUNDERSTANDINGTHE AG'S OFFICEHAS BEEN LOOKINGINTO THIS FORMONTHS.... IT'SUNCLEAR WHEN THESCHOOL BOARD ANDPUBLIC WILL GETANSWERS.TAULBEE: I THINKTHE ATTORNEYGENERAL NEEDSTO ACT AS QUICKLYAS POSSIBLE FORTHE SAKE OFEVERYONEINVOLVED THEBOARD, THEDISTRICT AND MRS,.R SO WE CAN GETTHIS BEHIND US SOWE CAN GET TOWHAT'S IMPORTANTFOR THE DISTRICTWHICH IS THE KIDSIN CLARKCOUNTY...LEIGHSEARCY LEX 18NEWS