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Rhode Island District Quotes $117,000 to Produce Teacher’s Curriculum and Emails

The six-figure estimate prompted a legal challenge that argues the public-records fees are excessive.

Overview

  • Barrington Public Schools estimated 7,735.5 hours to gather materials spanning 157 courses since 2010 that are stored across three learning-management systems.
  • The district’s law firm priced the request at roughly $116,033 for curriculum compilation, about $380 for recent emails containing “Trump,” and $719 for older “Trump” emails.
  • Requester Nicole Solas sought Fillo’s curriculum and emails, including 789 emails with “Trump” from Sept. 1, 2024, to present and 1,438 earlier “Trump” emails identified by the district.
  • The Goldwater Institute and attorney James McGlone asked the district to revise or waive the charge, arguing the Access to Public Records Act caps labor at $15 per hour and the estimate appears inflated.
  • Teacher Benjamin Fillo remains on paid leave after a video celebrating Charlie Kirk’s killing, and the school committee retained outside counsel with investigator Matthew Oliverio to review the matter.