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School board recesses into attorney-client session on Burke Construction litigation; reconvenes with no public action
Summary
The board convened an attorney-client session to discuss pending litigation involving Burke Construction Group and Crane Atlantis Engineering; the session was recorded by a certified court reporter and lasted about 15 minutes, with no settlement announced.
School Board counsel requested that the School Board of Broward County recess its regular meeting for an attorney-client session on pending litigation with Burke Construction Group, Inc. and Crane Atlantis Engineering, Inc.
"I would like to request the school board convene an attorney client session in order to discuss litigation pending before the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit in and for Broward County, Florida in the following matter: Burke Construction Group, Inc. versus the School Board of Broward County and the School Board of Broward County versus Crane Atlantis Engineering, Inc., Case number 2020Two-thirteen53," School Board counsel (Ms. Batista) said on the record.
The board announced that the attorney-client session would include School Board members Deborah Hixon (Chair), Sarah Leonardi (Vice Chair), Lori Alhadeff, Maura McCarthy Bullman, Brenda Pham, Dr. Jeff Holness, Nora Rupert and Rebecca Tom, along with counsel. The purpose stated on the record was to discuss settlement negotiations and/or strategy relative to the pending litigation. A certified court reporter was present to record the session.
The board recessed for the attorney-client session at the Administration Center and stated the session would take approximately 15 minutes. The meeting later reconvened and the chair announced the regular meeting was complete and adjourned; no settlement, motion or vote relating to the litigation was announced on the public record.
Because attorney-client sessions are confidential under Florida law while in progress, no further substantive discussion from the closed session was made public at reconvening. The transcript records the convening request, the list of attendees for the closed session and the stated purpose; it also records that the meeting reconvened afterward and was adjourned.
The board did not take a public vote on settlement or litigation strategy in open session during this meeting.
