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Fall River School Committee votes to enter executive session to discuss ransomware; censure motion against mayor fails
Summary
At a special April 17 meeting, the Fall River School Committee voted to move into executive session to discuss a reported cybersecurity incident after heated debate over public disclosure and the absence of the committee attorney. A separate motion to censure Mayor Paul Coogan for publicly discussing the incident failed.
The Fall River School Committee on April 17 voted to enter executive session to discuss alleged criminal misconduct tied to a cybersecurity (ransomware) incident after a contentious public exchange over whether the mayor improperly disclosed details to the media. A separate motion to formally censure Mayor Paul Coogan for disclosing what a member called "classified information" failed on a 3-4 vote.
The vote to go into executive session was taken during a special meeting called by the chair and described on the agenda as "to investigate charges of criminal misconduct or to consider the filing of criminal complaints" related to a cyberattack. Committee members expressed sharply different views about what — if anything — the public should be told and whether the meeting should proceed without the committee's attorney present.
Mister Dias, a school committee member, said he would not vote to go into executive session and…
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