INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Indiana's public access counselor says the State Board of Education may have damaged its integrity but didn't “definitively” violate the state's public meetings law with a letter asking legislative leaders to intervene in a dispute over school accountability grades.
 
Schools Superintendent Glenda Ritz filed a lawsuit after 10 members of the State Board of Education that she chairs signed onto the email letter.  She was not included in the emails.
 
The lawsuit was dismissed on technical grounds. A public access complaint followed.
 
The Journal Gazette reports that Public Access Counselor Luke Britt ruled Monday. He said the state's prohibition against so-called serial meetings does not count email as participating in a gathering. But he cautioned public agencies to be open and transparent about final decisions.