The Idaho Attorney General’s Office has filed a lawsuit alleging the State Board of Education violated the Open Meetings Law in proceedings leading up to approval of the University of Idaho acquiring the University of Phoenix.
The Lewiston Tribune reports that in court documents filed Tuesday in Ada County 4th District Court, Attorney General Raúl Labrador and Solicitor General Theo Wold argue that at least one of the executive sessions held by the state education board regarding the purchase should have been held publicly. The lawsuit says that if the meetings were held in violation of code, then subsequent actions by the board regarding the transaction are “null and void.”
Some Idaho lawmakers, including members of the Joint Finance Appropriations Committee, have expressed concerns over the proposed purchase of the for-profit university and the manner in which the deal has been conducted.
The transaction is not yet complete, as proposal still needs approval by both schools’ accreditors.
