During a special meeting held by zoom last Friday, February 7, the Christian County Library Board of Trustees discussed details of a legal case involving four of the current trustees and the library district itself. They made plans for their next step.
Board President Echo Schneider, and Trustees John Garrity, Diana Brazeale and Mary Hernandez de Carl were present. Trustee Janis Hagen was not in attendance.
Hagen and the district are named as plaintiffs in the suit against defendants Schneider, Garrity and Brazeale.
Those present Friday stated they want to ask a lawyer to remove the district from the case, ideally before a February 25 deadline the three defendants have to respond to recent court rulings.
Trustees Friday prepared a Request for Quote to ask a lawyer to remove the district from the suit. Due to the short timeline they planned to submit that request directly to attorney Richard Winders. Winders was recently passed over for a job as the library’s attorney when the board’s current lawyer Robert Petrowsky of Ellis, Ellis, Hammons & Johnson PC was chosen to represent the district in November.
Their current court case in the Christian County Circuit Court, however, is being seen by Judge Laura Johnson, a former partner at the law firm where Petrowsky works. During last Friday’s meeting the board voiced hesitancy at the complications the conflict of interest could cause. They said Petrowsky advised them to seek independent council. Trustees Garrity and Brazeale discussed the matter.
“My understanding is it keeps it clean,” Garrity explained. Brazeale added, “it keeps Judge Johnson from recusing herself from the case.”
The board has held special Friday afternoon meetings for the last month as they continue planning the search for a new executive director for the district and deal with ongoing legal issues.