Albany attorney Dawn Benson with the Watson, Spence, Lowe & Chambless firm sent a letter dated Aug. 20 to Maschke on behalf of Anson’s wife, Nancy, advising Maschke that he was not, as a sitting board member, permitted under the state’s Open Records Act to view any of Nancy Anson’s personnel files.
Maschke had been out of the state since Friday on personal business, but when contacted by cell phone Monday, he confirmed that he had sought information on Nancy Anson that was public record. However, he said he did not overstep his boundaries as a school board member.
“First of all, I can’t comment on the letter from Ms. Benson because I have not seen it yet,” Maschke said. “But I have sought information about Mrs. Anson to follow up a story Mr. Anson told me about how his wife got her current position.
“I’m well aware of the guidelines of the Open Records Act, and I have not asked for — nor would I ask for — anything that is not public record. All I’ve asked for is the date Nancy Anson was terminated from her position with the school system, her annual salary and the funding sources over the past five years. All of that is public record for all educators and school board members.”
Maschke said his requests had been forwarded to School Board Attorney Tommy Coleman, but that Coleman had been “sitting on the information for four or five days.” Coleman, however, said Monday he had nothing to report to Maschke.
“It’s my recollection that Mr. Maschke wanted to know when Mrs. Anson was first terminated from the school system, but there is no record of her ever having been terminated,” Coleman said. “She’d resigned once before, but when I asked for record of her being terminated, I was told by the school board that that hadn’t happened.
“I’ve taken the time to look over both of the candidates’ (Open Records) requests; I think David has sent three and Richard two. The (applicable) laws in these kinds of cases have become more and more complex, but I’ve asked the administration to send such requests to me, and I respond.”
Benson’s letter read, in part: “... If your request is made as a member of the Dougherty County Board of Education, then I must caution you on behalf of my client that a Board member-initiated inquiry as to a school system employee does not constitute an appropriate exercise of the member’s authority and is not within the proper scope of the Board’s duty. ... Certainly Dr. (Nancy) Anson does not wish to see an accreditation issue arise as to the Dougherty County School system, but neither will she fail to protect her rights and interests as an employee of the system.”
Benson said Monday Maschke’s requests concerning Nancy Anson were unusual.
“It’s unusual to ask for public records to investigate an employee with which there have been no problems,” Benson said. “We just want to make sure no records are released pertaining to her personnel file, which are not open records.
“We want to make sure Dr. Anson doesn’t become a pawn in this campaign. That would constitute inappropriate use of power as a school board member and would not be appropriate action.”
Richard Anson, who currently serves as the at-large member on the board, had announced he would not run for re-election, but when District 1 Democratic primary winner Judith Corbett announced she was dropping out of the general election, the state Democratic Party named Anson as her replacement on the ballot.
Anson said Monday he figured Maschke was looking for information on Nancy Anson to make her an issue in his re-election bid.
“My wife is a very qualified, hard-working person, so I don’t know where he’s coming from,” Anson said. “I’m very very sorry he would have to stoop to tactics that low to try and prove a point to the taxpayers of the county. According to his blog, he’s trying to make a point that the superintendent (Sally Whatley) is trying to protect Nancy, but anyone who knows my wife knows she doesn’t need protecting.
“I’m David’s opponent, not my wife. I don’t understand his misplaced aggression toward her.”
Maschke said the information he is seeking is related to information given by Anson five years ago.
“I’m following up on a story Dr. (Richard) Anson told about how his wife got her current position,” Maschke said. “He told me when she had been recommended for termination a second time, he and his wife met with the superintendent to discuss a new position for her. She was initially approved for the position by the board, but the federal government would not fund her in that position, he said.
“Her salary since then has been paid partially through the general fund and Title I funds. As a board member and taxpayer, I feel that if a position is created for a board member’s wife and has not been brought to the attention of the public, it is my responsibility to address the issue.”
Asked why he was addressing the issue now rather than when it first surfaced, Maschke said, “Mr. Anson is attempting to represent himself as a fiscally responsible board member. That makes this a legitimate issue.”