Chalkbeat

Education news. In context.

Chalkbeat

Ed Eiler

Indiana
September 3, 2014

State Board of Education settles open meetings lawsuit, admits no guilt

A lawsuit claiming the Indiana State Board of Education broke the law by holding a private meeting without public notice was settled with the board admitting no…
Indiana
July 29, 2014

Judge says suit against State Board of Education can proceed

At issue is whether 10 state board members, who have been at odds with Superintendent Glenda Ritz since she was elected to the statewide office in 2012, violated a state law that says public boards have to conduct their business in public by deciding via email in October to send a letter urging state legislative leaders to intervene in Indiana's school accountability process.
Indiana
November 11, 2013

The story behind the new complaint against the State Board of Education

Ed Eiler (Purdue University photo) The fight over 10 Republican state board of education members' decision to go over the head of Superintendent Glenda Ritz with a letter to lawmakers about school grades is not over yet. On Friday, Judge Louis Rosenberg did dismiss Ritz's lawsuit objecting to the members' letter. But now a complaint from four private citizens is repeating Ritz's claims — and their effort could force attention to a question that Rosenberg left unaddressed: whether or not the state board broke the law with its letter. When StateImpact Indiana first reported the complaint, its origins were somewhat mysterious. Today, the genesis of the complaint is still not completely clear. One participant, Ed Eiler, said he was recruited to join the action. Indianapolis labor lawyer William Groth, who provided legal advice, said he did not recruit anyone. Groth said he was contacted by an intermediary who he declined to name, citing attorney-client confidentiality. Both Groth and Eiler said the action was not sponsored or encouraged by Ritz or the Indiana State Teachers Association. Groth said he has not met Ritz nor represented ISTA in the past. He said he believes he was consulted because of his expertise in the Open Door Law, which the complaint says the board violated. In an interview, Eiler said some light on who the group is and what it hopes to achieve.