StarNews files lawsuit against Charter Day Schools Inc.

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The StarNews Thursday filed a lawsuit against Charter Day School Inc. alleging that the school group is not following the state's public records law.

The filing contends Charter Day hasn't made available a series of public documents requested by the newspaper over several months. Since early May, the newspaper has asked for salaries and bonuses, as well as financial information related to the nonprofit school group's operations. Among the items requested are records of payments and contracts related to expenses on the group's budgets, including rent and debt, management fees, and contracted services.

It started as just a standard request from a reporter. 

A month went by before the issue even reached StarNews executive editor Pam Sander's desk.

"That's the way, typically, it works," Sander said.  "We have public records requests all the time."

  State regulators ordered Charter Day School Incorporated to release detailed data by June 27th. They did release some information about teacher salaries, but Sander says the CDS is still not releasing what the paper is asking for.

"It's so simple to me. This is public records. We asked for it. They're just not giving it to us," Sander said. "I really don't even understand what the complication of it is."

When asked why media continue asking for these records, Sander said it's not even about the reason, it's their duty as journalists. 

"We are the messanger. We are the watchdog, the information provider," Sanders said. "Whether it's a school or a police department or a county library,  their information is public." 

And in the end, she said it comes down to accountability. 

"They get millions and millions of dollars every year to operate," Sanders said. "They're accountable to the people who give them those millions of dollars." 

John Ferrante, chairman of the school group's board of trustees, declined to comment on the suit Thursday afternoon.

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