Suit Filed Against School Board Members

An Inglewood Unified School District board member has filed a lawsuit against three other panel members, claiming that they have violated her 1st Amendment right of free speech.

In her lawsuit, filed in Torrance Superior Court, Thomasina Reed alleges that board President Gloria Gray, Vice President Larry Aubry and former President Dexter Henderson have repeatedly stifled her speech at board meetings.

She also claims that the board members were wrong for censuring her during a Jan. 29 meeting when she challenged their right to remove an item that she had placed on the agenda.

A judge on Wednesday granted her a hearing on the matter in Torrance Superior Court.

“They have tried to limit my ability to debate an issue or speak out or criticize members of the board,” said Reed, a lawyer. “I warned them that their rules of decorum were unconstitutional and that if they continued to try and shut me up I would sue.”

Reed contends that the rules of decorum, a set of guidelines that the divided school board established in July, are unconstitutional. The board passed the rules, which do not allow audience or school board members to talk out of turn, on a 3-2 vote with Reed dissenting.

School board members are angered that she went so far as to file a lawsuit. Gray, who Reed alleges has constantly attempted to silence her, said the legal action is “petty and frivolous.”

“This is taking away resources that could be better spent on children in the district,” Gray said.

A hearing on the matter has been scheduled for March 21.