Board member suing Rock Ridge School Board and Board Chair

DULUTH, MN. (Northern News Now) - A member of the Rock Ridge School Board (ISD #2909) is suing their own board and the board chair.

The suit was filed in Minnesota Federal Court Wednesday, March 26, 2023.

Board Director Pollyann Sorcan is claiming the board is preventing her from doing her job as an elected representative; board members are referred to as “Directors”.

The suit claims at one point Sorcan was removed from all board committees. She has now been allowed to return to some committees.

But the suit say she is not being allowed to serve on as many board committees as other board members, “on February 13, 2023, the District and Board Chair reinstated Ms. Sorcan to three (3) committee assignments. Ms. Sorcan continues to have the fewest committee assignments of any elected member of the Board, with others having 4, 5, or even 6 assignments.”

The suit also alleges she was censured by fellow board members in 2021, but was not told any specific reasons for her censure. She was just told reasons in general.

The lawsuit reads, “...the Board passed a resolution censuring Ms. Sorcan for a litany of conclusory allegations that failed to specify the date or factual circumstances of the alleged violations of Board rules or other purported standards of conduct.”

The suit continues to assert Sorcan’s First Amendment speech was not allowed among other claims of mistreatment.

Board Chair Bill Addy tells Northern News Now he has no comment at this point beyond, “the lawsuit is being reviewed by the school district’s legal counsel.”

Sorcan won her current seat on the school board in close race in the 2022 November General Election.

The top two vote getters advanced to represent District 1.

Sorcan finished second in voting, 100 votes ahead of the third place vote getter.

ELECTION RESULTS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2022: School Board Member District 1 (ISD #2909) (Elect 2)

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