Methuen School Committee votes to enter executive session under state statute

The Methuen School Committee voted unanimously Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, to enter executive session at about 6:33 p.m. during a remote meeting, citing Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 30A, §21(a)(3) to discuss strategy related to collective bargaining or litigation.

The move closed deliberations after routine business and public participation; committee leaders said the meeting would not return to open session. "We will not, reconvene in open session," the chair (not named in the transcript) said before the roll call vote to enter executive session.

Before the executive session vote, the committee first accepted the meeting agenda. The vice chair (not named in the transcript) moved to accept the agenda; Member Donovan seconded. The roll call on that motion recorded yes votes from Member Desaglio, Member Maxwell, Member Keegan, Member Donovan, Member Trabile, Member Willette and Mayor Beauregard, and the agenda was accepted.

Later, Member Desaglio moved that the committee enter executive session pursuant to Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 30A, §21(a)(3) "to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining or litigate position of the public body," and Member Shabiliya seconded the motion. A roll call vote to enter executive session recorded yes votes from Member Desaglio, Member Maxwell, Member Keegan, Member Donovan, Member Trabile, Member Shabiliya, Member Willette and Mayor Beauregard. The chair declared the committee entering executive session at 6:33 p.m. and reiterated that it would not reconvene in open session.

No members of the public spoke during the public participation portion; the committee noted that no one had signed up to comment. No substantive matters of collective bargaining or litigation were discussed on the public record prior to entering executive session.