A lawsuit was filed August 30 on behalf of Vanguard Academy Charter school and each of Vanguard’s board members. The complaint asks the court to review and reverse the decision made by the Utah State Charter School Board (SCSB) on August 22 to remove all 9 Vanguard board members as well as place the school on "probation” which is one step away from closing the school.

The lawsuit lists a detailed timeline of the media driven audits that began when KUTV’s Chris Jones ran a story on December 11, 2020 in which Jones stated Vanguard’s board consisted “almost entirely of members with links to polygamy”.

In addition to the lawsuit, Vanguard and its board filed a request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the SCSB, attempting to delay or halt the removal of the board pending a review of the case. The lawsuits argue that Vanguard will suffer “irreparable harm” should the SCSB follow through with its decision when they meet again September 8. The request includes signed declarations from fearful parents who state they plan to withdraw their students from Vanguard should the board be replaced. A withdrawal of the majority of students would essentially close the school due to lack of attendance.

Read the Lawsuit Here

Read the request for TRO Here

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