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Lawsuit filed against Scott County Board of Supervisors following school board controversy

According to court documents, former PV School Board Member Tracy Rivera's legal team has filed a lawsuit against the Scott County Board of Supervisors.

PLEASANT VALLEY, Iowa — Update Jan. 2, 2024: The Scott County Board of Supervisors held a closed-door committee of the whole meeting today to discuss pending litigation between Tracy Rivera and the Board of Supervisors. The board refused to comment on the situation after the meeting. 

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A lawsuit has been filed by a former Pleasant Valley Schools board member who lost her seat following a controversial decision by the Scott County Board of Supervisors to reject a re-canvass of November election results.

According to court documents, Tracy Rivera's legal team has filed a lawsuit against the Scott County Board. The documents allege that the Scott County Board violated Iowa state law and stripped Rivera of an equal opportunity to serve on the Pleasant Valley School Board. 

In the original Nov. 7th election, current District #6 Board Member Jameson Smith won with 256 votes — just six more than incumbent Rivera's 250 votes.

A re-canvass of the District #6 election results was completed in early December by a three-member recount board and revealed Rivera to have tied Smith. However, the Scott County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to reject the results of the re-canvass. As a result, Rivera lost the position to Smith.

According to the court documents, Iowa law doesn't permit the Scott County Board to reject the recount board's report. It also states, "At the recanvass meeting, the Board knowingly acknowledged they did not have the legal authority to reject the recount board's report and the duty to follow the code."

Rivera joined the school board in Oct. 2022 to fill a vacant seat until the election. 

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