The Delaware Department of Justice released a report on the Christina School District Board of Education.
DOJ decided in June 2024 that a staff member would monitor the district’s board meetings for one year following several Freedom of Information Act violations. They monitored every meeting, agenda, minutes and relevant documents from July 2024 to June 2025.
The report finds several issues with transparency. One recommendation is to announce votes and whether motions made pass or fail. It also highlights new legislation that requires additional board training and a physical residency requirement.
State Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton represents the district and said she was not surprised by the report’s findings.
“I've been pretty disappointed with the leadership of our school board, but I am kind of feeling some renewed hope in the last couple of months with new leadership,” Wilson-Anton said. “And I think our district is on a path to, hopefully, a more efficient, effective and accountable leadership to our community.”
The report also said the Board fell short in other areas.
“While some allegations were found to be beyond FOIA’s scope or insufficiently substantiated, the DDOJ found clear violations where the Board failed to provide adequate notice or disclose voting outcomes, underscoring the need for greater compliance with both the letter and the spirit of Delaware’s open government requirements,” the report said.
State Rep. Cyndie Romer said the Christina School Board meetings saw “extreme chaos,” particularly through FOIA violations. But the issues didn’t stop there.
“There were several legislators in the Christina area who reached out to the Department of Justice to have them start looking into this when they start violating Robert’s Rules of Order,” Romer said. “That's the transparency and predictability that we're looking for in our government.”
Robert’s Rules of Order acts as a rulebook to productive meetings, according to DOJ. It has rules that cover facilitating discussion, voting and agendas.
The first DOJ-monitored board meeting saw board members remove the acting superintendent Dan Shelton, who has since filed a lawsuit against the district. That happened at 2:45 a.m. July 9. Members of the public in attendance voiced their disapproval.
“That decision to get rid of our superintendent cost the district a lot of money,” Wilson-Anton said. “It cost [...] Dr. Shelton his reputation, and it caused a lot of angst and anxiety to our staff, who are feeling on edge because if you can just be terminated without any due process, without your ability to share your side of the story, that's a pretty scary situation to work within.”
Board member Naveed Baqir has also seen criticism as he is living in Pakistan and has not attended a board meeting in person for more than a year.
The report recommended taking advantage of FOIA training to ensure meeting minutes and agendas are detailed, voting procedures are consistent and Board members identify themselves when speaking or making a motion.
Monica Moriak was elected board president in July. She said she thinks the board is already making progress to correct the issues found.
“I just think for me, the important takeaway was, yeah, we were struggling with things,” Moriak said. “We are learning from that. There is new leadership now, but again, I'm going to learn from past mistakes, and I'm sure the next leadership will learn from mistakes that I make.”
Wilson-Anton said she is confident in Moriak.
“I don't think that there's going to be issues around FOIA usage or transparency with the community under her leadership,” Wilson-Anton said. “And I'm excited for the direction that our district has been ahead in under her leadership and under our new superintendent.”
Romer concurred.
“One of the board members who was very specifically making public claims about the lack of FOIA procedure and policies not being followed as far as the Robert's Rules of Order is now the board president,” Romer said. “So I think that's a very hopeful sign. I do hope that they embrace training on Robert's Rules.”
Moriak added issues with technology flagged by DOJ were unintentional. Virtual attendees occasionally lost access to meeting audio or were confused when Board members did not identify themselves, according to the report.
“Technical difficulties plagued the electronic voting system in July, August, and September 2024, with some votes appearing and some not,” the report said.
FOIA acknowledges technical difficulties regarding virtual meetings and electronic voting, according to DOJ. Those issues do not invalidate a meeting or motions passed, but district staff have to work to address the root of the issue.
Board members added voice voting to the electronic voting system starting at the Oct. 8, 2024 meeting.
“The Board should take steps to increase transparency regarding how Board members are voting, and whether motions made are passing,” the report read.
Moriak said she thinks she and her colleagues have already acted on some of the recommendations made in the report, including having more detailed agenda items and taking roll call votes verbally.
