Back in our Nov. 17 issue, we criticized residents calling for
Chris Lind’s resignation as a Prior Lake-Savage Area School Board member-elect.
We did so because Lind, no matter how people feel about him, won a seat on the
board fair and square in a public election.

But that was before Lind threatened to sue the school district
for his June 18, 2007
termination as a district employee. The news came last week that Lind’s
attorney, David Thompson, had served the district with a notice-of-claim letter
demanding a monetary settlement for damages.

We seriously question whether Lind can be an effective leader on
the School Board in a district he plans to sue.

As we wrote in that Nov. 17 editorial, Lind will become an
elected official when he takes the oath of office at the Monday, Jan. 14 board
meeting. Since his election, this newspaper’s staff and many others in the
community have called on Lind to reach out in an open, direct manner,
explaining the circumstances of his firing. He has not done so, and now, with
news of his planned lawsuit against the district, he presumably cannot.

As a result, Lind won’t be able to serve both himself and the
school district. Therefore, we urge Lind to reconsider his plans to take
office.

By all appearances, Lind has not broken the law and is simply
doing what he has the legal right to do. However, he has given the impression
that he’s content to allow speculation about his circumstances to divide this
community – not exactly what most people would expect from an elected official.

We wonder how Lind could sit quietly in his seat Monday night
when the School Board discusses, in open forum, his request for a monetary
settlement. But that’s what he’ll have to do.

The irony of Lind’s situation – as attorneys have made clear –
is that if he chooses to file an official suit against the district, his
personnel file and any school district documents regarding Lind’s termination
will become public.

The further irony is that, whether the circumstances of Lind’s
firing are made public or forever shielded from the community’s view, Lind will
find it very difficult to do what he claims to have set out to do by running
for School Board.

As Lind said in our Oct. 27 candidate Q & A, “I believe in
being open, honest and specific so you know what I believe.”

We hope he abides by that promise.

Editorials are among several
opinion and commentary pieces appearing regularly in this newspaper. Unless
otherwise noted, all editorials that appear in this spot are written by the
editor of the Prior Lake American.