JOHN DAY — The Oregon Government Ethics Commission is opening an investigation into whether the Grant County School Board broke the law during an executive session Aug. 19. The state ethics panel made the decision Oct. 22.

At issue is whether the five school board members who participated may have violated the state law that allows public bodies to go into executive session — where the public is barred and reporters are instructed not to report on the proceedings — only in certain narrowly defined circumstances.

The commission’s ruling came in response to a complaint filed by the Blue Mountain Eagle newspaper. The Eagle is part of the EP Media Group, which includes the East Oregonian and the Bulletin in Bend,

Across the country, school board meetings have been at the center of sometimes raucous public protests in recent months.