NIC Trustees to meet in exec session

The North Idaho College Board of Trustees meeting previously scheduled tonight has been replaced by an executive session to consider “complaints or charges brought against a public officer, employee, staff member or individual agent,” according to a college news release. 

The closed-door meeting follows a letter tendered by Trustee Christie Wood asking board chair Todd Banducci to resign from his leadership role for what she called a “clear pattern of abuse and aggressive behavior.”

In a Jan. 20 Press article, Wood explained her statement was due to an email sent by NIC President Rick MacLennan that detailed several communications with Banducci that MacLennan felt were threatening or unsettling.

The following legal situations apply to tonight’s executive session:

 Idaho Code § 74--206(1)(b) — “to consider the evaluation, dismissal, or disciplining of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual agent, or public school student,” and

Idaho Code § 74--206(1)(f) — “to communicate with legal counsel for the public agency to discuss the legal ramifications of and legal options for pending litigation, or controversies not yet being litigated but imminently likely to be litigated.”

Executive sessions are not open to the public. However, if the meeting ends with the board needing to take action after the discussion, it will have to do so publicly.

Laura Rumpler, chief communications and government relations officer, said it's not known if the board will need to vote on anything after the session. 

Rumpler also said the decision to cancel the regular Jan. 27 meeting was up to the board of trustees. 

“The board is prioritizing their time and noticed an executive session would be fitting for this one discussion,” Rumpler told the Press Tuesday. 

Previously on the trustee agenda were: 

An information/action item to review NIC’s legal counsel, by Todd Banducci; 

An update on NIC’s athletic competition and participation, by Graydon Stanley, requested following a discussion related to the college’s wrestling opportunities during the December meeting;

Revisiting of the board' ethics policy, requested by Wood — a policy which was repealed during last month’s meeting; 

Discussing the role of the board of trustees led by Wood and Trustee Ken Howard;

Discussing NIC’s COVID-19 operating procedures, by Rick MacLennan. 

The next scheduled board meeting is Feb. 24.