Kent School Board hit with another Open Public Meetings Act suit
Published 3:12 pm Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Two residents have filed a complaint in King County Superior Court that the Kent School District violated the state Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) during a March 11 executive session when the Kent School Board met without an attorney present and didn’t give proper notice about one of the topics discussed.
The complaint also named Board President Meghin Margel as a defendant. The complaint states that Margel, who has been trained about the OPMA and a board member since 2022, knew that an attorney needed to be present during an executive session, and that it is a violation to hold a special closed meeting of the board without 24 hours notice of the business to be transacted.
Joe and Allison Riley filed the complaint. They are residents and parents in the school district. They previously filed two successful complaints in King County Superior Court against the Kent School District.
A judge ruled in July 2025 that the Kent School Board twice violated the state’s OPMA during an executive session in June 2023, and again in May 2024, as earlier reported by the Kent Reporter.
Kent School District Superintendent Israel Vela and Margel were served with the latest complaint on April 1, Joe Riley said.
“We offered to settle this out of court, however nothing has been settled yet,” Joe Riley said in a May 11 email to the Kent Reporter.
District leaders, however, put an agenda item titled Open Public Meetings Act on the school board’s May 13 agenda. It is listed as an informational topic.
“At its March 11, 2026, meeting, the board convened in executive session without legal counsel present based on advice received prior to the meeting,” according to the listed agenda item. “The district recognizes the importance of strict compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act and remains committed to continued board training and education regarding OPMA requirements and executive session procedures.”
The meeting was held after the Kent Reporter’s press deadline.
The complaint alleges that a majority of board members met privately on March 11, 2026, for the announced purpose of discussing litigation and legal risks, but it was later acknowledged that no attorney attended. Under RCW 42.30.110(1)(i), such a legal discussion can evade public view only if it is “with legal counsel representing the agency.”
At the regular March 11 meeting, Kent School Board member Donald Cook revealed the possible OPMA violation.
“The legal concern that I had, I’ll speak to, just briefly,” Cook said. “The fact that we noticed our executive session this evening (March 11) about a legal issue and did not have legal representation or counsel available during that entire period seems to go against the OPMA. And so my concern is that we are possibly facing another OPMA violation yet again.”
Margel verbally announced a second topic for the March 11 closed meeting just before it started, contrary to the OPMA requirement for 24 hours’ notice of the business to be transacted, according to the complaint. The written notice to the public mentioned only the litigation-related purpose for the special meeting, not an employee performance review, which was improperly added to the agenda by Margel at the last minute.
Curtis Leonard, the board’s general counsel (attorney) of Seattle-based Pacifica Law Group, reportedly was unavailable for a period that included March 10 and March 11, according to the complaint.
Katherine George, the attorney for the Rileys, sent an email to Leonard and fellow attorney Sam Chalfant to see whether either one of them attended the March 11 executive session. On March 17, Chalfant wrote in response to the question: “I am looking into this and will follow up soon.”
Plaintiffs’ counsel received no further response, according to the complaint.
The court has not yet set a hearing for the complaint, Joe Riley said.
Requests for relief
According to the complaint, the Rileys respectfully request the following:
• An order finding that the Kent School Board violated the Open Public Meetings Act.
• An award of all costs, including reasonable attorney fees, as required by RCW 42.30.120(4).
• An order for defendant Meghin Margel to personally pay a civil penalty of at least $500 as authorized by RCW 42.30.120.
• Leave to amend this complaint to name additional members of the Kent School Board as defendants subject to personal liability under RCW 42.30.120.
• Such other relief as the court deems proper.
