The Philomath School Board plans to hold a virtual special session at 6 p.m. Monday to determine its path forward on the handling of complaints that have come into the district following a controversy involving the board chair.
The board met this past Monday to formally accept all complaints that had been filed up to that date and also designated board vice chair Tom Klipfel with the authority to schedule a hearing and establish the process rules.
The step involving Klipfel was necessary because Erin Gudge, as board chair, is the subject of the complaints.
“There have been a few additional complaints and it will be acknowledging those and then setting a hearing date,” Philomath Superintendent of Schools Susan Halliday said about the upcoming meeting.
Gudge, who is in her second term on the School Board, came under fire earlier this month after she published a post on her personal Facebook page about the death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
The special session will not include time for public comments per district policy.
Prior to the regular meeting, there will be an executive session to begin at 5 p.m. as allowed by state statute. Executive sessions are closed to the public.
The open meeting will be conducted via teleconference and streamed on the school district’s YouTube channel.