A three-judge panel of Pennsylvania's Commonwealth Court has sided with Jarrett Coleman (now a State Senator) in his contention that Parkland School District violated Pennsylvania's Sunshine Act in 2021. It did so when it approved a collective bargaining agreement with its teachers' union without first giving the public 24 hours of advance notice. The school district did advertise the meeting and an agenda, but failed to include the agreement giving teachers a raise.
"“Today’s decision is a huge victory for government transparency,” Senator Coleman said. “What this decision means is that the public has a right to have advance notice of actions its government will consider taking before every meeting.”
The Sunshine Act does permit agencies like Parkland School District to amend agendas, but only for emergencies and de minimis matters.
Coleman also asked the court to invalidate the agreement because of the violation, but the court noted that invalidating an official action for a Sunshine Act violation is discretionary, not automatic.
Coleman's lawsuit against Parkland was filed by Attorney J. Chadwick Schnee. Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association (PNA) also filed an amicus curiae brief in support of Coleman’s position.
