……Transparency is a word I never thought much of before until …. transparency was blocked as it has been in the West Virginia Board of Education’s takeover of Hancock County Schools. But, in all my years as a reporter or a legislator, I’ve never seen access denied in such a cavalier way. Make no mistake, we in Hancock County, are in the dark and those being directed out of Charleston see no need to cast light on our questions.
……….Perhaps, the most blatant refusal to act on a Freedom of Information request is Superintendent Walt Saunders simply ignoring Hancock Board of Education President Chris Enoch’s FOIA request. Chris should be able to just request any piece of information without resorting to filing a FOIA in his position of Board President. But, that doesn’t work. He doesn’t get what he asks for so he has resorted to filing a FOIA request of the County Board Office. Not only did he not get his FOIA answered, he didn’t even get the courtesy of an acknowledgement of his request from Superintendent Saunders.
……… One would wonder what type of game is Saunders playing when he thinks he is above adhering to the FOIA rules set forth by the Ethics Act. One would also wonder if Saunders is guilty of malfeasance himself by not adhering to the rules of FOIA. You can say yes and respond within five business days. You can say no and give a reason you are not providing the information. But, to not respond at all is thumbing your nose at the person who sent it and the system that created it.
(I include in another article Chris’s FOIA and most recent letter seeking the information.)
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