Board Decided In Secrecy

The North Idaho College board of trustees decided behind closed doors not to renew President Robert Bennett’s contract, although they say no illegal vote was taken.

State law requires that personnel discussions at state institutions, such as employee evaluations, take place in executive session. Out of public earshot.

When a decision is necessary, trustees must come into open session. To meet that requirement, NIC board members voted Tuesday.

They voted not whether to ax Bennett, but whether to accept the terms of his resignation agreement.

Although Bennett isn’t complaining, students and staff felt left out of the process.

Asked about the secrecy, Bennett’s attorney, Denny Davis, said, “I think it is sort of troublesome. It does cut some of the stakeholders out of the discussion.”

Here’s how Bennett’s departure unfolded.

Bennett attended the board’s May 28 meeting - which was unusually tense - expecting to have his annual performance evaluation when the board went into executive session.

Instead, he was handed a letter.

“They said they were considering not renewing my contract and they wanted me to respond,” Bennett said Tuesday. “They asked me to get back to them on Friday, which I did.”

After consulting with his attorney, Bennett offered to resign in return for a generous settlement.

On Monday, the board met at 3 p.m. Students and media learned belatedly of the executive session, but a staff representative said she was not told about it. The meeting was held not on campus, but six miles away at the Hayden public library.

Board chairperson Jeanne Givens said the meeting was held there because it was conveniently located near one trustee’s office. Those who waited outside learned only that the board would meet again on Tuesday.

That meeting was held at the offices of board attorney Dana Wetzel. Again, students and staff were frustrated by the off-campus location. It was necessary in order to be near documents needed for the discussion, Givens said.

, DataTimes