After receiving their request to meet, Darnell Early responded with a letter of warning to all (School Board,
teachers, employees, parents, students) January 21, 2015, that disciplinary actions would ensue in the
coarse laid out by the School Board to continue to investigate PA436.
Nonetheless, on January 22, 2015, the School Board gathered in the School Board gathered at the School
Board meeting room as planned and held a meeting. The room was vacant.
(According to Darnell Earley, their offense was that they did not have his express written permission.
Notifying him of their intent to meet just to make sure the room was available, as they understood from the
Stipulated Order of Judge Annette Berry, was not enough.)
The room was vacant that evening and they went ahead with their planned agenda. They approved a
unanimous Resolution to request the DOJ to investigate their concerns as the community had requested.
The Resolution received a great deal of publicity and a petition with thousands of signatures from around
the country and a video.
Herman Davis sent another request for the board to meet out to Darnell Early, February 4, 2015. The
meeting was not approved. LaMar Lemmons communicated to Darnell Early that Judge Berry’s Stipulated
Order, allowed the Board to meet.
On February 5, 2015, Earley responded with a retort that as long as they discussed PA 436 and the
Emergency Manager’s actions, they were out of order.
The Board sent another request on February 17, and Darnell Early responded with a communication that not
only did he not approve their use of Detroit Public School Board meeting room, to hold their meetings, but
that actions taken at the January 22, 2015 meeting were nullified.
Thereafter, he clarified in writing that notifying him of a meeting, and collaborating with him about a
meeting were not sufficient. Instead, the Board must receive his permission of topics they could speak
about. The Board’s pro bono attorney, Cynthia Heenan sent a notice to Earley that he could be held in
contempt of Judge Berry’s Stipulated Order. The Board continued to notify him of their meeting and
discuss the topics of their own choosing.
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