LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Lawrence attorney says the Kansas Board of Regents likely violated state open-meetings laws by employing the former University of Kansas chancellor as a special adviser without taking a public vote.
Attorney Max Kautsch said regents could’ve violated state law when they gathered in a closed-door session to approve Bernadette Gray-Little’s salary as special adviser, the Lawrence Journal-World reported.
“It seems pretty clear to me that it is a violation,” Kautsch said.
Kautsch’s criticism stems from a recently released letter written in 2016 by the board’s president offering Gray-Little a more than $510,000 salary with the position “as an expression of our gratitude.”
Board spokesman Matt Keith provided the newspaper with a 28-page FAQ document authored by the Kansas attorney general’s office and said the regents have “the authority to discuss personnel matters in executive session.” Read more…