Loss of lawyers puts OSDE in legal limbo

WHAT ELSE SHE'S CONCERNED ABOUT. SPENCER, AS YOU KNOW, I'VE TOLD ABOUT, ACCORDING TO WAYS TO EASE WEBSITE, THE DEPARTMENT NO LONGER HAS ANY LAWYERS ON STAFF TO GIVE THEM LEGAL GUIDANCE ON THEIR DECISIONS WILL NOW THAT LAWYER SUING THE DEPARTMENT SAYS >> SHE'S NOT EVEN SURE WHO AT ALWAYS DEC SHOULD NOTIFY ABOUT HER LAWSUIT AGAINST THEM. THIS IS THE LAWSUIT CALLING MCCARTY'S LAW FIRM FILED AGAINST THE OKLAHOMA STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. BACK IN DECEMBER, IT CHALLENGES A NEW RULE REQUIRING SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO GET THE STATE'S SCHOOL BOARD'S APPROVAL IN ORDER TO CHANGE A STUDENT'S NAME AND GENDER IN THEIR RECORDS. SHE'S ABOUT TO FILE A NEW DOCUMENT IN THE CASE. BUT THERE'S A PROBLEM. WE'RE NOT SURE IF IT'S GOING GET RECEIVED IF ANYONE IS GOING TO GET THAT'S BECAUSE AS FAR AS SHE OR ANYONE ELSE CAN TELL, SDE NO LONGER HAS ANY ATTORNEYS ON STAFF IS PRETTY MUCH LIKE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION'S UNREPRESENTED RIGHT NOW.

SDE CHIEF LEGAL COUNSEL BRIAN CLEVELAND WAS REPRESENTING THE DEPARTMENT IN THE LAWSUIT, BUT AFTER HE AND OTHER LAWYERS STEPPED DOWN LAST MONTH, IT'S NOT CLEAR WHO IF ANYONE HAS TAKEN OVER, WE AREN'T SURE. >> BUT A FILE HER, THE LIST AS THE ATTORNEYS. BUT IT'S NOT JUST LAWSUITS. THE LACK OF LEGAL COUNSEL COULD ALSO IMPACT ROUTINE DEPARTMENT BUSINESS. THAT'S A BIG CLIENT STATE AGENCY MEETINGS. THEY HAVE THEIR COUNCIL THERE AND THEY'RE COUNCIL AS MAKING SURE THAT ALL THE ITEMS ON THE MEETING WHERE PUBLIC AT THE AGENDA THAT THEIR COMPLAINTS, MEETINGS ACT AT LAST WEEK'S STATE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING THE BOARD TOOK A FEW ACTIONS, INCLUDING EXEMPTING SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS FROM STATE TESTING SINCE SDE DIDN'T HAVE ANY STAFF LAWYERS. THEY'RE A PRIVATE ATTORNEY, STEPPED IN TO HANDLE THEIR ROLES AT THE MEETING.

AND THAT ATTORNEY TOLD ME SHE DOES NOT WORK FOR THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, BUT RATHER IS A LEGAL ADVISER FOR THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION. AND SO I'M NOT HAVING AN ATTORNEY AT THE MEETING. >> I WOULD HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT WHETHER ANY OF THE ITEMS THEY VOTED ON OUR VALID. >> I REACHED OUT TO SDE SPOKESPERSON HOPING HE WOULD HELP CLEAR ALL THIS UP FOR YOU. OUR VIEWERS, I ASKED HIM IF SDE HAS ANY LEGAL COUNSEL ON STAFF AND WHAT THE RAMIFICATIONS SDE NOT .

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