JeffCo School Board President Files Ethics Complaint Against Himself

AP

Ken Witt, president of the Jefferson County School Board, announced Thursday that he's filed an ethics complaint against himself.

Witt's complaint asks the state's Independent Ethics Commission for an advisory opinion on whether he has broken any open meeting laws. Critics who are trying to recall Witt and two other conservative board members contend they broke such rules.

Witt said the accusations were "baseless."

"We're calling their bluff," he said.

However, the ethics commission's own handbook (see page 6) says it doesn't have the authority to investigate school board members.  

A spokeswoman for the recall movement called Witt's announcement a "political stunt."

The recall was sparked after Witt and fellow conservative members John Newkirk and Julie Williams attempted to change the district's history curriculum last fall. Critics say they wanted schools to teach a sanitized version of U.S. history that promoted patriotism and downplayed civil rights issues.