Emerald files grievance against PFC
The Emerald filed a grievance Tuesday against the ASUO Programs Finance Committee for allegedly violating Oregon Public Meetings Law. According to the student grievance report, PFC called a meeting into executive session Jan. 13 without prior notice or just cause.
Public bodies must give notice of their intention to enter into an executive session in the meeting agenda and state the reason during open session, according ORS 192.640(2) of Oregon’s public meetings law. In addition, public bodies can only adjourn an open meeting into executive session for specific reasons, which are outlined in the Attorney General’s Public Records and Meetings Manual, the Emerald contended.
PFC Chairman Adrian Gilmore could not be reached for comment as of press time. Gilmore said in an e-mail to Emerald Editor in Chief Brad Schmidt on Friday that the session was called due to comments that were getting “personal toward a member of PFC.”
But Schmidt said that is not a justifiable reason for an executive session, adding that PFC did not initially have an executive session listed on its agenda for that day.
Based on Gilmore’s statements about the meeting, Schmidt said part of the reason for calling the session seemed to be to prevent the Emerald from reporting on the ongoing discussion.
According to state laws, certain persons may be excluded from the deliberations during an executive session, and while members of the press are allowed to stay, they cannot report on the proceedings.
The Emerald requested in the grievance that records of the PFC executive session be made public.
“Steps need to be taken to maintain the spirit of open government and to ensure that such actions do not occur in the future,” Schmidt said in the grievance.

— Ayisha Yahya