CASPER, Wyo. — Transparency and school safety were topics of discussion at the Natrona County School District 1 Board of Trustees meeting Monday, as members of the public voiced concerns over the board chair’s recent remarks regarding the nature of public meetings and the implications of the impending repeal of the Wyoming Gun-Free Zones Act.
Leslie Hall of Casper questioned statements made March 10 by Board Chair Kevin Christopherson regarding the nature of school board meetings as “meetings held in public” rather than “public meetings.”
Christopherson opened the public comment portion of that meeting by saying, “speaking to the board is a privilege.”
“We are a board of directors that meets in public, and this is not a public meeting,” he said, adding public comments are restricted to three minutes per person. He advised speakers to keep their comments positive and to “not do personal attacks.”
On Monday, Hall said the idea that a school board meeting is “not a public meeting” misaligns with Wyoming law, specifically Title 16, Chapter 4, Section 403 of the Wyoming Open Meetings Act, which states that all meetings of a governing body are public meetings open to the public.
She also cited a 2022 U.S. District Court in Wyoming ruling that silencing public comment violates the First Amendment, urging the board to recognize the meetings as public forums where community voices are essential.
“Do you honestly think we will fix our schools by treating public input like an optional favor? I don’t think so, and it’s time to start respecting the public’s role in this process,” Hall said.
Just before the meeting’s end Monday, Christopherson said he misspoke and didn’t mean to say the school board’s meeting was not a public meeting.
“It is. All of our meetings are public except for the executive session,” he said. “We welcome you here. We like to hear what you’re saying. I’m just in the hard position of trying to be a referee. You guys bring a lot of passion, and the passion that comes from both sides, and I just want to try to make sure that we’re kind and gentle to each other during this meeting.”
“I’m not trying to shut anybody down. We’re going to continue to listen and hear from you and welcome you because that’s how we find out what’s wrong,” he added. “And I just seek your forgiveness. I’m not an orator.”
Gun-Free Zones Act
Melissa Behringer of Casper raised concerns about the imminent repeal of the Wyoming Gun-Free Zones Act.
Behringer worried about losing local control and the increased safety risks from more people, like parents and staff, carrying guns in schools. With the new law, House Bill 172, the Legislature has prohibited state agencies and other political subdivisions from regulating firearms, although school districts are allowed to regulate concealed carry by employees and volunteers.
“I’m unaware of any incidents in the past eight years that have deemed it necessary to change how firearms are regulated in our public schools,” she said, referencing the passage of the Wyoming School Safety and Security Act in 2017.
Behringer asked that the public be part of the process of setting the district’s policy insomuch as it’s allowed by the new law.
