Lawsuit filed against five board members of Moore Country public charter school

VASS, N.C. – The Sandhills Theatre Arts Renaissance School (STARS), three of its directors, and its parent-teacher organization have filed a lawsuit against five members of the school’s board of directors, who hold a controlling block vote on the school’s board. STARS, a North Carolina Public Charter School, is located in the Moore County town of Vass, N.C. The school was placed on probationary status by the N.C. Office of Charter Schools in July for violations of North Carolina open meetings law.

The complaint, which was filed by Raleigh-based Shanahan Law Group, PLLC, alleges that:
• The defendants took numerous actions which violate state law and the school’s own charter;
• Several directors have remained on the board long after their terms expired under the school’s by-laws;
• The defendants have repeatedly held secret meetings in violation of North Carolina’s open meetings law and the school’s charter;
• Board resolutions and other actions taken by the defendants at improperly held meetings violate the rights of legitimate board members and could cause harm to the school; and
• The defendants have ignored directives from the N.C. Office of Charter Schools.

“We regret that it became necessary for the school and the other plaintiffs to file this complaint,” says Kieran Shanahan, an attorney with Shanahan Law Group. “Unfortunately, the actions of the five board members could lead to the revocation of the school’s charter. This would cause irreparable harm to the parents, teachers, students and the community, and this step was necessary to protect their interests and help the school comply with state laws and its own charter.”

The complaint requests emergency relief and asks the Court to:
• Reinstate the board members who were improperly removed by the controlling group of directors;
• Remove the directors who have remained on the board beyond their permitted terms;
• Appoint two disinterested parties to the school’s board.