By Steven Allen Adams for The Inter-Mountain of Elkins, W.Va.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — In federal court filings last week, West Virginia Superintendent of Schools Steve Paine and Assistant Superintendent Jan Barth disputed claims that the school officials pressured an educational testing company to drop a lobbyist to due hostile tweets.
Paine and Barth filed a response on July 5 to a federal complaint brought by registered lobbyist Jason Webb on June 12 alleging Paine and Barth tried to influence ACT, a major player in educational testing and a client of Webb’s, to end their relationship with Webb after the lobbyist took to social media to criticize the school officials.
In his filing Friday, Paine admitted that he talked with ACT officials — including ACT CEO Marten Roorda – but denied Webb’s allegations that he tried to influence Roorda and others to cancel their contract with Webb. …
Read more: http://www.theintermountain.com/news/local-news/2019/07/state-superintendent-responds-to-lawsuit/
