That's just flat against

the law. And we are filing suit against the council on

behalf of Fayetteville citizens who have a right to know

what the highest ranking appointed city official has been

up to and why the council is taking this stonewall way

out of an embarrassing situation.

The law requires that the

council must hold an open meeting while "receiving

evidence or hearing argument on charges filed to

determine disciplinary action or dismissal of a public

officer or employee."

At no open meeting did this

required action take place.

It boggles the mind to

believe that the council first suspended, then forced the

resignation of its top appointee without knowing the

nature of the case against its own most senior employee.

But that's what they would have had to have done and

still comply with the Open Meetings law.

They didn't do that. We all

know they heard what the charges were, who made them,

what evidence supported the charges and what actions they

ought to consider taking.

But none of that is in a

released public record, and none of that happened in an

announced public meeting.

The council members took

their embarrassing dirty laundry behind closed doors, and

they washed it out of public view.

That's not only a violation

of the law, it's just flat wrong, and they shouldn't be

allowed to get away with it.

That's why The Citizen is

suing the Fayetteville City Council.