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Board tables motion to amend August 2024 minutes after heated exchange; legal advice to be sought
Summary
A motion to amend August 20, 2024 minutes to record that a walk-on motion accepting the superintendent’s merit goals failed prompted sharp exchanges; the board voted to table the item and referred it to executive session for legal review.
A motion by a board member to correct August 20, 2024 minutes — asserting a walk-on motion to accept the superintendent’s merit goals did not carry — sparked extended debate at the Washington Township Board of Education’s November meeting.
Board member (speaker 8) said the minutes incorrectly record the motion as carried despite what they described as a 4–4 vote and asked the minutes be amended to show the motion did not pass. Several members questioned why the matter was raised nearly a year after the meeting and said it should be handled in executive session with legal counsel. One member asked that the board obtain legal advice before further discussion; another said they would be willing to waive privacy to allow the matter to be discussed in public if appropriate.
Following discussion, a motion to table the amendment and take it into executive session for legal review passed on a roll-call vote. The chair said the issue — including any legal advice — will be discussed in executive session and any formal action will be disclosed publicly if taken.
The board’s decision to table the minutes-amendment request effectively pauses any immediate change to the official minutes and moves further examination behind closed doors under the Open Public Meetings Act exception for negotiations and legal advice.
