ALTON FRAILEY TRIES TO STIFLE OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS:

After a year of being the superintendent in Katy ISD, Alton Frailey took it upon himself to curtail open records requests.  He had a willing and compliant school board peopled with malleable dolts who were willing to give him anything he wanted. The only thing that got in his way were citizens, Helen Eriksen, and the Houston Chronicle. 

After the Chronicle's Editorial Board chastised him for trying to use the School Board to further the agenda of the Texas Association of School Boards by suggesting that they go to Austin to lobby the legislators to get them to change the open records law, Frailey had the nerve to write a letter to the Chronicle blasting them for their opposition!  They let him have it, and he never regained much respect from them for the rest of his term.

The following is an article about the matter, chronicling Frailey's weak attempts at justification of his position.

DISTRICT BACKS AWAY FROM REQUEST TO CHAGE RECORDS LAW

By Wes Swift

July 3, 2008

Houston Chronicle

The Katy school board pulled a resolution July 30 asking the state legislature to require people requesting public records to state their intentions for seeking the information.

The resolution, contained in a package of more than a dozen resolutions to be sent to the Texas Association of School Boards, me with vocal opposition from a local activist during the board's regular meeting.

Katy superintendent Alton Frailey said the proposed change would help combat harassment by people who use the public information act to engage in witchunts [sic] and to pursue private agendas.

He also said that such requests put an undue administrative burden on the district staff and resources.

But Frailey pulled the resolution saying he only wanted to bring attention to the issue.

"My mission has been accomplished," he said.

The Texas Public Information Act allows citizens to request any information from a government agency, except in specific cases such as law enforcement records, legal records and trade secrets.

The law does not require the requestor to declare why the records are sought.

George Scott, a former journalist, said the proposed change struck at the heart of the public's right to know.

"Public information is not a game," he said.  He demanded to know why the proposed change was even suggested to the board.

[Mr. Scott did not get an answer from Mr. Frailey, but it was a rhetorical question, I think.  MM]