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North Kingstown School Committee votes to suspend certified employee and move toward termination
Summary
At a Jan. 6 special meeting the North Kingstown School Committee recessed to executive session under Rhode Island law, later approving a suspension without pay for the remainder of the school year and voting to terminate the employee at the start of the next school year; the committee also voted to seal the executive session minutes.
The North Kingstown School Committee voted Jan. 6 to suspend a certified employee without pay for the remainder of the 2024–25 school year and to terminate the employee's employment effective at the commencement of the 2025–26 school year.
The action followed a brief special meeting that began with a recess to executive session under R.I. Gen. Laws A7 42-46-4 and the committee's reference to a pre-termination hearing authority under R.I. Gen. Laws A7 42-46-5(a)(1). After reconvening in public, the committee disclosed that no votes were taken in executive session, moved to seal the executive session minutes and then approved the suspension and termination motion.
A motion to seal the executive session minutes was made and seconded and carried on an affirmative voice vote. A subsequent motion to "suspend the employee without pay for the balance of this school year and then to terminate their employment effective at the commencement of next school year" was made, seconded and approved. The transcript records committee members responding in the affirmative when the chair asked, "All those in favor, please say aye." The transcript does not identify the employee by name, the maker or seconder of the suspension motion, or individual roll-call votes by member.
The meeting included a roll call showing Aaron Earl, Robert Case, Jonathan Lima, Megan Larne and Sherry Kennedy present. The record shows the committee chair asked for and received unanimous vocal assent to the motions; no member discussion of the suspension or termination was recorded. The committee adjourned shortly after the votes.
The committee cited state open-meeting law provisions governing executive sessions for matters concerning job performance and pre-termination hearings. Beyond the wording of the motion, the transcript provides no additional details about the reasons for the personnel action, the identity of the employee, or any appeal or due-process steps that may follow.
