By Kris Leonhardt

MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield School board will seek legal counsel to discern if board member Mary Carney violated district policies in a lawsuit in which she is a plaintiff.

The Milwaukee-based Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) sued Wisconsin State Superintendent Tony Everson on behalf of four taxpayers, including Carney, who serve on school boards or teach in public schools.

WILL’s lawsuit claims that Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) are not following the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act, or REINS Act. The act was signed into law by Governor Scott Walker in August.

During the Dec. 13 Marshfield School Board meeting, President Marlene Stueland read a statement clarifying the districts nonparticipation in the lawsuit and their lack of awareness that it was in action. At that time Stueland stated that there would be further action coming from the board.

During the Jan. 10 meeting a motion was made by board member Amber Kiggens-Leifheit to obtain legal advice on the matter.

“I’d like to make a motion to at least have our attorney look at it – someone who is independent – and unbiased to see if anything has been done inappropriately or prove that everything is great, so that would be the perfect way, I think, to move forward,” Kiggens-Leifheit said.

A 4-2 vote, with Dorothy Chaney absent and Frances Bohon and Mary Carney voting no, moved the action forward.