FINAL ORDER M-1058
Appeal M-9600296
Kent County Board of Education
This is my Final Order for Appeal Number M-9600296 concerning a decision of the Kent County Board of Education (the Board). In Interim Order M-1044 (issued November 25, 1997), I ordered the Board to reconsider its exercise of discretion with regard to releasing the original test paper of a test written by one of the appellants to a forensic hand-writing expert of the appellants’ choice.
The Board has notified me by letter dated December 15, 1997 that it has reconsidered its decision in this matter. The Board indicates that it is now prepared to release the original test paper directly to the specified hand-writing expert, on the personal undertaking of the hand-writing expert that the document will not be released to the appellants, or be damaged or altered in any way while out of the possession of the Board’s legal counsel.
As this was the preferred method of access requested by the appellants, I consider this matter resolved, and I uphold the decision of the Board in this regard. I would further like to commend the Board on its final approach to the issues in this appeal.
ORDER:
I uphold the Board’s revised decision.
Original signed by: January 6, 1998
Laurel Cropley
Inquiry Officer