Morgan County Correspondent, LLC v. Board of Education of the Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation

Case Number: 55D03-2412-PL-002692

Court: Morgan County Superior Court 3

Client: Morgan County Correspondent

Background: On Nov. 25, 2024, the Board of Education of the Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation, a public school district just outside of Indianapolis, met in an executive session to consider the appointment of a new school board member to fill a vacant seat. During the private meeting, the board members discussed all prospective appointees for the vacant board seat and eliminated all but one candidate, Deon Brimmage. 

The board followed the executive session with a public meeting, during which the board voted to appoint Brimmage to fill the vacant seat. The board solicited no public comment before unanimously voting to appoint Brimmage, and there was no public discussion among board members at the meeting about Brimmage or any other candidate for the vacant board seat.

In December 2024, the Morgan County Correspondent, represented by Reporters Committee Local Legal Initiative Attorney Kris Cundiff, submitted a formal complaint to Indiana’s Office of the Public Access Counselor alleging that the school board’s actions violated the state’s Open Door Law. 

While awaiting the PAC’s formal opinion, the local newspaper filed this lawsuit in the Morgan County Superior Court. The lawsuit argues that the board violated the Open Door Law by taking official action on public business in secret and by failing to allow public comment on the appointment before the final vote. 

Among other things, the Correspondent’s lawsuit asks the court to void the school board’s appointment and declare that the board violated the Open Door Law.

Filings:

2024-12-24: Complaint for injunctive and declaratory relief under the Open Door Law