Top Carroll County school officials doctored videotapes of school board meetings and withheld other information regarding the troubled construction of Cranberry Station Elementary School, according to a lawsuit filed yesterday in Baltimore County Circuit Court.

The suit, filed by Cranberry Station's original contractor, James W. Ancel Inc. of Towson, accuses school officials of violating Maryland's Public Information Act, which protects the public's access to government documents and materials.

Those actions interfered with a legal dispute involving a subcontractor, causing both delays and expense, said James Ancel, who is seeking $1 million in damages.

Cranberry Station, an elementary school being built in Westminster, is more than $1.7 million over budget and one year behind schedule. An investigation by The Sun found that the bulk of the 20 percent cost overrun stems from school officials' pursuit of an apology from Ancel.

The demand, prompted by a disagreement over rock removal, led Ancel to terminate his contract with the county.

In his lawsuit, Ancel accuses Superintendent William H. Hyde and other officials of deleting sections of school board meeting videotapes recorded on April 8, 1998, and April 16, 1998. In each meeting, the board heard presentations and discussed Cranberry Station's construction.

Ancel had requested the tapes and documents from school officials to fight a lawsuit filed by one of his subcontractors on the project. Ancel and R&T; Earthmovers Inc. were involved in a dispute over the amount of money owed to R&T.;

Hyde; Vernon F. Smith Jr., assistant superintendent for administration; Pat Flaherty, a television production specialist; Carey Gaddis, a school information specialist; and Louis J. Kozlakowski, the school system's attorney, are accused of "intentionally editing and withholding the full videotapes of the Board of Education meeting minutes," according to the lawsuit.

Ancel declined to comment on the lawsuit yesterday.

Denies wrongdoing

His attorney, William M. Huddles, said the lawsuit should speak for itself.

"I don't want to comment publicly. We stand behind the allegations in the lawsuit," he said.

Hyde denied any wrongdoing. He said that Ancel probably received a videotape that had been edited for broadcast on cable television.

"He got the tape that has the highlights of the board meeting," Hyde said. "My assumption would be that it was the tape to represent the minutes and not the full board tape. I'm comfortable our staff gave him what he asked for."

Tapes edited

Hyde said he or the school information specialist usually edits the tapes, checking for content and running time.

Hyde did not know who edited tapes of the meetings requested by Ancel.

According to copies of school board minutes filed with the lawsuit, the portions that were allegedly deleted came in the middle of the meetings.

In the tape of the April 8 meeting, a presentation on Cranberry Station by Smith, who had demanded an apology from Ancel, has been edited out, Ancel alleges.

During the April 16 meeting, the school board approved a firm to manage the construction project after Ancel's departure. This portion was deleted entirely, according to the lawsuit.

Hyde said he didn't think the original videotapes of the April 8 or April 16 meetings exist. Nor did he know if audiotapes, which are used to prepare the written minutes, were still available.

Pub Date: 3/05/99