Prince George's County Board of Education closes March 6 meeting to consider appeals, oral arguments

The Prince George's County Board of Education voted to close its March 6, 2025 meeting and move into a special closed session to review board appeals and oral arguments, citing state statutory authority to discuss personnel identities and legal matters.

Jonathan Briggs, vice chair of the Prince George's County Board of Education, read the statement justifying the closure, saying the meeting would be closed under cited provisions because “discussions about employees' identities and ongoing or anticipated legal disputes in a public setting could result in financial losses, damage to reputation, or legal damage.”

The board clerk conducted a roll call and the clerk and/or meeting moderator announced there were six members in the affirmative. The motion to close the March 6, 2025 meeting was adopted by an affirmative vote of six; individual yea/nay votes beyond two clearly recorded affirmations were not fully transcribed.

Under the announced statutory citation, the board said the purpose of the closed meeting was to review board appeals and hear oral arguments. After the vote, board members were instructed to exit the public meeting and join the separate special closed session link; staff warned participants they would be placed in a waiting room while board staff admitted attendees.

The action followed the board's announced virtual meeting rules for internet meetings: members were asked to keep cameras on, mute microphones until recognized, and limit speaking turns to two times for up to two minutes each. A quorum of six members was present for the vote.

Because the meeting moved into a closed session under the cited provisions, no further substantive discussion about the appeals or arguments was recorded in the public transcript.