Some turned away from Thursday board meeting; Police cite safety, disruptions forbidding entry
Melissa Abood drove three-and-a-half hours to attend Thursday’s Board of Trustees meeting — only to be turned away.
Abood, a teacher at Colin Powell Academy in Detroit, drove from her home in Clinton Township with her father to attend the meeting with some coworkers.
But when she got to Central Michigan University, the president’s conference room in the Bovee University Center was filled to capacity — primarily with supporters of the temporary faculty union.
A CMU police officer stood outside the door and refused entry to anyone after the meeting began.
“I understand they’re at capacity,” Abood said. “I’m just bummed and I drove all the way here.”
Bill Yeagley, CMU’s police chief, said he instructed officers to not let anyone in after the meeting started.
About five people who wanted to attend the meeting stood outside.
Officer William Martinez stood outside the door until 10:16 a.m., when officer David Block took over.
“When it was full, they closed the doors and said ‘Don’t let anyone in,’” Martinez said.
A move in the future?
It is not a requirement for a public meeting to be moved to a bigger venue to accommodate more audience members, according to Attorney General Opinion No. 5183 of the Michigan Open Meetings Act. But it is recommended when possible.
“Where a larger than anticipated group wishes to attend a public meeting, the Open Meetings Act does not require the public body to adjourn the meeting to a larger meeting room, but the public body should exercise reasonable efforts to accommodate interested members of the public, including reconvening the meeting in a larger room where practicable,” the Act reads.
The UC Auditorium and the Rotunda, both rooms with a larger maximum capacity, were available Thursday morning.
After the meeting, Board Chairwoman Stephanie Comai and University President George Ross said moving could be a possibility for future meetings.
“Maybe we should consider moving it to a larger venue,” Ross said.
At 10:43 a.m., several audience members left the meeting, leaving several seats open in the president’s conference room.
Yeagley began allowing the public back into the meeting at about 10:56 a.m.
He said he waited to allow people back in because the noise from people talking in the hallway was disrupting the meeting.
“The board couldn’t hear the president’s report,” he said. “I gave directions to my officers to not let people in (during the presentation).”
