Topeka ? Eleven employees of the state Department of Education plan to challenge $1 fines for taking free meals from hotels.

The meals violated a 1997 state law prohibiting state employees from taking meals or other gifts.

The Governmental Ethics Commission issued the fines, the lightest penalties possible, in May. The commission could have fined each employee up to $5,000 per violation.

To overturn the fines, the employees must file a lawsuit in Shawnee County District Court against the commission. Their attorney, Pedro Irigonegaray, said Monday he was close to doing so.

Irigonegaray said that while the fines are minimal, the employees don’t believe their integrity should have been questioned.