When well-intentioned, community-spirited citizens make bad decisions, then double down on them.

◼ Brown Act Trampled In NHUHSD’s Damage Control Frenzy - Arcata Eye

When the high school board met July 26 to discuss Trustee Dan Johnson’s plagiarized June 13 commencement speech, Board President Mike Pigg apologized for the delay. He said the board hadn’t been able to meet over the summer.

“We’re restricted by the Brown Act so we can’t even discuss it until we have a meeting,” chimed Trustee Dana Silvernale.

However, according to internal school district documents, the board had already spent lots of time discussing the controversial speech and what to do about it – just not in public.

A Public Records Act request for internal memoranda and public correspondence regarding Johnson’s speech yielded numerous e-mail exchanges between Northern Humboldt Union High School District (NHUHSD) boardmembers and staff.

The messages include discussion of the imbroglio and how to respond, frustration with Johnson over his delayed response and sniping among boardmembers....