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Marblehead School Committee elects Al Williams chair amid questions about process
Summary
The Marblehead School Committee voted to elect Al Williams as chair, named a vice chair and secretary, and faced public comments alleging procedural irregularities and possible open‑meeting violations.
Al Williams was elected chair of the Marblehead School Committee after competing nominations and a formal vote, the committee said at its reorganization meeting.
The vote followed nominations for chair and other leadership posts. Brian (last name not specified) nominated Williams; another member nominated Jen Schaffner to continue as chair. The committee then moved to select a vice chair and secretary; Kate Schmettepper (vice chair nominee) and Henry (last name not specified) were chosen for officer posts later in the meeting.
The leadership change drew public comment challenging the way nominations and votes were handled. Resident Sarah Fox told the committee during public comment that she believed the initial nominations and related communications constituted serial communication that, in her view, could amount to an open‑meeting law violation. "Public business happens in public," Fox said, urging the committee to remedy any procedural errors and, if necessary, revote in public to correct them.
Committee members acknowledged the comment and then conducted formal motions, seconds and recorded votes on the leadership positions during the meeting's business portion. One committee member abstained from the vice‑chair vote, citing discomfort with the process; members discussed seeking guidance from an ethics office to confirm whether any conflicts would affect the secretary's ability to participate in executive sessions.
The committee made the leadership decisions on the record and moved on to other agenda items, including district updates, policy votes and a large facilities project. Committee members said they would follow up on the concerns raised about process and, if needed, seek legal or ethics advice to ensure compliance with open‑meeting and ethics rules.
The meeting included multiple public commentators who both praised outgoing service and called for transparency and adherence to public‑meeting rules going forward. The committee proceeded with existing business after confirming the leadership votes on the public record.
