Editorial: Fresno Unified keeps public in the dark about federal subpoena

It has been nearly a week since the U.S. Attorney’s Office subpoenaed Fresno Unified School District, but district officials have yet to respond to public requests for information about what the subpoena entails – much less provide copies of the documents.

The Fresno Bee has filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the documents.

Amazingly, the district’s Board of Trustees was kept in the dark until Wednesday, when school board members finally were allowed to read the documents by Superintendent Michael Hanson’s administration.

Considering that the subpoena was served on the district – not individuals within the district – copies of the subpoena should have been provided immediately to the trustees, who, after all, are supposed to oversee the district.

Throughout the controversy over Fresno Unified’s use of leaseback contracts to build and renovate schools, Hanson has promised that he and the district would be fully transparent about the facts of the situation and the district’s actions.

We recognize that the district might need time to digest the information in the subpoena and to confer with its legal advisers about the next steps to take.

But the district’s foot dragging on speaking to district taxpayers and answering reporters’ questions about the subpoena is inexcusable.

These delays only thicken the cloud of suspicion hanging over a district whose leaseback method of building new facilities was slapped down by the 5th District Court of Appeal in June.

This story was originally published September 3, 2015 at 7:57 AM with the headline "Editorial: Fresno Unified keeps public in the dark about federal subpoena."