Cobb County School District Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said Thursday that a proposed policy change to bar broadcasts of public comments during school board meetings is necessary for legal and other reasons.
During a Cobb Board of Education work session Thursday afternoon, Ragsdale said the Cobb school district could be legally held liable for the statements of public commenters.
The board’s Republican majority voted in favor, and the three Democrats were opposed.
Georgia law requires public school districts to hear public comments but does not mandate that they be aired.
Cobb airs its public board meetings live on Comcast and Charter cable outlets and COBB edTV, its own livestreaming channel including comments from members of the public.
The district’s channel also archives past meetings for the public to view on replay. Other portions of the meetings would still be shown on those broadcasts.
