Methuen committee appoints custodial negotiating panel, recuses chair and moves to executive session on litigation

At the Jan. 28 Methuen School Committee meeting members nominated and appointed a three‑member custodial negotiation committee and subsequently moved into executive session for litigation and bargaining strategy.

Nominations for the custodial negotiation committee included Nick DiZaglio, Member Saroyce and Member Keegan. A motion to appoint the nominated members passed on roll call with recorded 'Yes' votes from members present.

Earlier in the meeting a written public comment from resident Alejandro Baez was read into the record; Baez asked the committee to "table this discussion" of consolidation and the related executive session until after a charter review workshop on Jan. 29. The letter, read aloud by the chair, specifically referenced an executive-session item about "the consolidation of both the city and school IT departments" and asked the committee not to proceed until the community had an opportunity to weigh in.

The chair recused themself from the remainder of the meeting, saying they are the defendant in the litigation scheduled for discussion, and turned proceedings over to the vice chair. The vice chair then called an executive session under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 30A, Section 21(a)(3), to discuss strategy with respect to litigation and collective bargaining and read an Essex Superior Court action number aloud. The committee voted to adjourn the public session at 7:48 p.m. and enter executive session without returning to public session.

No substantive public discussion occurred after the recusal; the written public comment urging delay was recorded into the public record and the chair's recusal was announced before the executive-session motion was made.