Board solicitor briefs Lawrence Township board on ethics, open-meetings and conflicts of interest

Brett Gorman, the board solicitor, gave a detailed legal briefing emphasizing the distinction between board policymaking and school administration and warning board members against direct involvement in personnel matters.

“Your job is not to administer the schools,” Gorman said, and added that direct contact with staff to press for actions or participation in outside events can trigger School Ethics Commission scrutiny. He advised members that relaying concerns to the superintendent is permissible, but contacting teachers or administrators to request action is not.

Gorman reviewed obligations under the Open Public Meetings Act, including adequate public notice procedures handled by the business administrator and an upcoming change allowing electronic notice to replace newspaper notice for certain boards. He also summarized a recent Appellate Division decision on filling vacancies, noting boards must articulate in public the rationale for appointments and cannot conduct hidden deliberations or interviews that circumvent public notice.

Other topics included committee use (recommended to avoid inadvertent meeting violations), proper sequence for motions, discussion and roll-call voting, and several conflict-of-interest hypotheticals. Gorman urged disclosure and recusal where personal or perceived conflicts exist and recommended consulting the board solicitor before taking private action that could risk a School Ethics Commission complaint.

Board members asked clarifying questions during and after the presentation. Members praised the session’s clarity and prescriptiveness. The training was presented as part of the board’s work session and will be available for future reference.