3/15/10
Randy Liepa and the Open Meetings Act
Randy Liepa was in rare form at tonight's LPS board of education meeting. He decided he had found a disruption in his meeting. A disruption so great that only the Livonia Police Department could deal with it. What was this disruption? What was this instrument of chaos and disorder?
A Nikon D-50 digital SLR mounted on a tripod.
Yep. He called the police because of a camera. A camera in a public meeting. A camera in a televised public meeting.
There I sat in the front row, with my trusty camera sitting on its tripod when Randy and Lynda Scheel walked up. Lynda didn't say anything, but nodded a lot while Randy talked. Without so much as a hello, he said "That camera is a disruption. You can either remove it, or leave the meeting." I responded "that may be your opinion, but you're wrong." I then advised him of the Open Meetings Act, and its prohibition against interference with a citizen's recording of a meeting.
He said "Regardless, if you don't take it down, you will have to leave". I advised I had no intention of taking it down. or leaving.
He walked away.
He then called in officers from Blue Line Security (I later found out these 2 had to stay to the end of the meeting). They tried to convince me I had to take down the camera or leave. When I explained the Open Meetings Act to them, they went over to Randy, talked, and left.
During all of this, the meeting was delayed (in all, about 45 minutes).
Randy then called in uniformed Livonia Police.
The officers advised I would be arrested if I did not remove my camera from the meeting, or leave. I once again explained the Open Meetings Act. The officer advised that it didn't matter. This was his (Randy's) meeting and building. If I did not remove the camera or leave, I would be arrested for disorderly conduct and trespassing.
Now, the officers were quite polite, and I wasn't all that interested in seeing what the inside of a Livonia jail cell looked like. So I told them I would do so because they were advising I had to do so in their official capacity. But I made it clear that this did not mean I accepted that Randy had a right to use the police in this fashion. Officer Tieg advised that Randy had "kindly offered to let me rejoin the meeting without my camera".
I then asked him what would happen if I brought a camera to a future meeting. He told me I would be arrested.
I went back to the meeting, and spoke at audience communication, much to the chagrin of Randy and Lynda.
At no point during this little display did I raise my voice, or show anger in any way. Because frankly, Randy's actions didn't make me angry. They simply gave me a profound sense of disappointment at what our district has turned into.
Loyd A. Romick
