Update on Suit Against Fairfax Schools re Kendi Videotape

 

 

Freedom of Information

 

As previously reported, we filed suit against the Fairfax County school system on January 13, 2022, challenging its refusal to give us a copy of a videotape of a presentation by Critical Race Theory guru Ibram X. Kendi.  See “Fairfax Schools Monitor Sues Fairfax Schools,” Jan. 13, 2022.  The presentation, for which the school system paid Kendi $20,000, occurred at the kick-off session of the 2020-21 school year on August 6, 2020.  We requested the videotape under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.  The school system claimed its contract with Kendi protected the videotape from disclosure, because the contract said that Kendi would claim copyright protection for his presentation.

The matter was heard today in the Fairfax County General District Court.  We suffered a temporary procedural setback.  Judge Susan Stoney agreed with defendants’ attorney that we had improperly named “Fairfax County Public Schools” as the principal defendant; the correct legal name of the entity that governs the school system is “Fairfax County School Board.”  So, the matter was dismissed without reaching the merits of whether we are entitled to receive the Kendi videotape.

We immediately refiled our case this afternoon.  The matter has been rescheduled for hearing on Monday, March 28, twelve days from now.  Hopefully, the court will decide at that time whether the Freedom of Information Act allows us to obtain the videotape we have requested.  We will provide an update after that hearing.

10 Comments

  1. Shelly Arnoldi on March 16, 2022 at 5:56 pm

    The legal process is so ridiculous. Thank you so much for persevering. I know this is an expensive effort too. The school board is so corrupt, we can and will get to the bottom and expose them all.



  2. Bill Krist on March 16, 2022 at 6:03 pm

    The wheel of justice grinds along way too slowly



  3. Gino Marchetti on March 16, 2022 at 7:25 pm

    Good for you, thanks..



  4. Margaret Fisher on March 16, 2022 at 8:58 pm

    Keep it up, Mark. We need to all stay awake and vote them all out.



  5. BW on March 16, 2022 at 9:21 pm

    I’m glad you were able to file again. Thank you!



  6. Rose Campiglia on March 16, 2022 at 11:37 pm

    Perseverance is key… Keep up the outstanding work, Mark.?♥️???



  7. Steve Quiner on March 17, 2022 at 7:32 am

    Take em to the mat over this baloney



  8. Steve Quiner on March 17, 2022 at 7:34 am

    In Iowa we have a word for this.
    Keep up this great effort



  9. Hans Roland on March 24, 2022 at 6:39 am

    I live in Fauquier county down the road a piece but have a. huge interest in what is going on in Fairfax because ultimatly Virginia and our country is at stake…so my hats off to you Mark and all the others fighting in Fairfax and Virginia. What is going on in Fairfax, Loudoun and other counties is horrible (not to mention FEDERAL level of crazyness in DC). Our country is falling…we have to catch her before hitting the ground…everything is at stake…BEST to ALL…



    • Mark Spooner on March 24, 2022 at 7:21 am

      Hans: Thanks much for your supportive comment.