Antigo School Board Open Records Request

Thank you for taking the time to visit this GoFundMe page. The community of Antigo, Wisconsin is facing an urgent issue that demands immediate attention: the lack of transparency, and potential corruption within the local school board. They have also been shown to publicly discriminate against members or allies of the LGBTQ+ community. On July 17, 2023 I made an open records request on behalf of members of the Antigo community. If you would like to know more about that request, please view the YouTube video at the top of this fundraiser beginning at around 9:40. You can also see the entire history and communication that has occurred between the school board, their attorneys, and myself at the Facebook group Antigo School Dist. Voices and Concerns at the following URL https://www.facebook.com/groups/2251835941669600/. In the future, all of the communication, records, etc. will be posted at https://www.antigotransparencyproject.com/ which is currently a work in progress.

The Problem

A school board is supposed to represent the public, and make decisions that are best for a community’s children and their future. Unfortunately, recent activities suggest that this may not be happening as it should. Decisions are being made behind closed doors or in private messages or Facebook groups, records are not available for public review, and calls for accountability are met with silence, obfuscation, or absurd costs to anyone asking to retrieve these records.

Why Open Records Request?

An open records request is a powerful legal tool that forces public bodies, like school boards, to disclose information that they might otherwise keep hidden. Through filing an open records request, we can obtain documents such as meeting minutes, financial records, and internal communications. This information can help us assess whether our school board is acting in the best interests of a community or if there are reasons to suspect corruption or mismanagement.

The Costs

Filing an open records request comes with various administrative fees, including processing and photocopying costs. In some cases, there may also be legal fees if the request is challenged. My goal is to raise at least $8,385 to cover these costs, ensuring that we can obtain and carefully review all necessary documents.

How the funds will be used:

I would also like everyone to know that a completely separate bank account has been setup to receive these funds and to pay for any of the costs associated with this request. I want to ensure that all bank statements, receipts, etc. from this pursuit are able to be shared openly with the community so that everyone feels comfortable their funds are 100% going to support this cause. As stated above, all of this information will be shared in the Facebook group as well as the website (when completed).

What You Can Do

Every contribution, big or small, brings us one step closer to uncovering the truth. Your support helps ensure that the school board remains accountable, transparent, and focused on the welfare of the children and community. If you are unable to donate at this time, sharing this with your personal network and in relevant social media groups is another great way to contribute to the cause.

I absolutely realize that the costs the school board and their attorneys have presented are excessive and believe they have done that intentionally to try and dissuade these records from getting out. However, I think it is in the best interest of the community and best course of action to "call their bluff" and retrieve the records they are clearly trying to hide. That said, I want everyone to know that there are other options.

Several people have advised me to revise and/or shrink the request which is definitely another good option. My goal for this particular request is to uncover any and all corrupt, illegal, or issues that are bad for the community of Antigo and the children, so my intent is to keep the full request in place as there isn't necessarily one topic I can pin down without us seeing as much as possible. I definitely encourage others to issue smaller, more precise requests for the issues that are important to them.

Another option would be to litigate this matter in the courts. That is an option that is still on the table for my request as well if I believe at any point the board is not fulfilling the request I made honestly and in full. However, I believe the cost of that would far exceed the ridiculous cost the board and their attorneys have already presented for these records, and that comes with the added risk of the court, district attorney, etc. siding with the board and ruling against the request.

I firmly believe that this is the best option available for the goals of this particular records request. Thank you for your support, your contributions, and most importantly, for standing up for transparency and accountability in Antigo. Together, we can shine a light on the truth.