You’ve heard about “speaking truth to power.” How about speaking truth and getting attacked by power?

Dianna Pharr is a Texan who decided to get involved. The Eanes Independent School District, which governs the school her son went to, had money problems. The wealthy school district’s budgets had become controversial in the community; proposed budget cuts seemed to cover everything but sports.

So Ms. Pharr did research. She gathered information. But when she offered to volunteer her services to put up public district information on a website, she was turned down.

So she put up the info on her own website. Without comment. The local library even linked to her site.

And then the school board retaliated. The board released her young son’s confidential medical information to the public during a school board meeting.

And they didn’t apologize. No, they hired an attorney. Dianna Pharr took it all the way to Washington, D.C., defending her son pro se. And she got her judgment. But instead of obeying the law, apologizing, or changing procedures so that other children’s rights were not violated, the school district appealed.

You know, I often say “power corrupts,” but I still shake my head when a local school board decides to go rogue. Over power. Position. Secret spending.

WikiFoia , a website promoting Freedom of Information Act requests, presented Dianna Pharr with its Sunshine Troublemaker of the Week Award.

Keep up the fight, Dianna.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

---

ATTN: Ms. Pharr isn’t done yet. She has asked the Education Department’s Inspector General to look into the school district’s behavior. You can make a difference in encouraging such an investigation by emailing or calling Education Secretary Margaret Spelling. Email her at margaret.spellings@ed.gov or you can call to leave a message with her office at 202-401-3000. Ask her to take action to hold the Eanes Independent School District accountable to the law. Please feel free to forward this Common Sense commentary.

---