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Club Board of Directors Business

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C

Club Member

Guest
I am on the Board of a small not for profit organization. Recently the Board suspended one of the other Board members until an ethic's committee could be formed to study the charges presented against this person. Before that could be done, the Board member in question resigned. At that point in time the Board considered the matter closed.

Let me add our bylaws do not include anything about using Robert's Rules. They do give the Board the right to "consider causes for expulsion" of a Board member in one article and in another, the right to form an ethics committee, if necessary, to review complaints against Board members and report the findings to the Board. The Board did consider itself in "Executive Session" during all discussions.

Prior to this person's resigning some questions had been raised about the legality of the Board having suspended this person. The argument was that no where in the bylaws does it give the Board the right to suspend. Again, before we could do anything more, the Board member resigned.

The problem now: This person has gone to the people he represented and told them his side of the story. He is completely innocent, of course, in his version. He is rallying them to demand that the Board answer a list of questions concerning his suspension - questions such as under what authority did the Board suspend, what were the charges, etc.

The Board is taking the stand that all discussions concerning disciplinary actions are a private matter not to be discussed outside the Board. Further, since the person resigned the matter is closed so the right or wrong of the suspension is a moot point. We are also concerned about the possibility of this person suing us for libel should anything "negative" about him from the Board discussion get out to the general membership.

Are we in the right or do the organizations' members have the right to know everything said and done in our Board meetings?
 



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