COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — North Idaho College President Nick Swayne sued his school for a second time in November, this time to compel the college to make an investigative report public. Both lawsuits took issue with how the board handled Swayne’s employment.
According to the petition, filed Nov. 17, an investigation into allegations against Swayne that was authorized at the board of commissioners June 7 meeting was never made available to him.
At that meeting, the board authorized then-board chair Greg McKenzie to “look into the practicality and decision to hire a neutral workplace investigator into an urgent personnel matter.”
Swayne’s petition says a third-party, Jenae Ball, was retained by the board to launch an investigation into allegations made against Swayne by another employee. The petition says the investigation ended in October, but the board refused to turn over a copy to Swayne.
Swanye said he submitted a public records request to the college through an online form to seek a copy of the report, but North Idaho College attorney Art Macomber refused the request.
On Oct. 23, McKenzie held a meeting with Swayne to conduct an evaluation of his performance as president, which Swayne argues referenced the content of the investigation “numerous times.”
A week later, the school again rejected Swayne’s public record request to obtain the report, according to the lawsuit.
Swayne previously sued the school when the board placed him on leave. A judge sided with him in the case, saying the board didn’t act in good faith.
