East Brunswick Board of Education moves into closed session, estimates six-hour meeting

The East Brunswick Board of Education voted to enter a closed session during its meeting after completing roll call and closing public comment.

The presiding officer announced the board would discuss matters that were not appropriate for public meeting and cited the Open Public Meetings Law. “Whereas the length of the closed session is estimated to be six hours after which the public meeting of the board shall reconvene and action will not be taken,” the chair said during the agenda recitation.

Board members present at roll call included Anna Braraw, Timothy Cummings, Jamie Falco, Le Figueroa, Lorie Herrick, Lee Wuhong, Wilbur Pan, Maryann Tangos and Heather Gu. The board secretary read the statutory notice that the meeting had been published and posted and listed local newspapers and the municipal clerk that were notified.

The board explained its public-comment procedures and privacy guidance before closing the public-comment period after no one indicated a desire to speak; the board had allotted up to three minutes per speaker and said the board secretary would keep time.

A motion to enter closed session was made and seconded; the transcript records Wilbur Pan and Jamie Falco in the subsequent exchange. The chair called for a vote and announced the motion carried. The meeting then moved into closed session. The board stated it did not intend to take action upon reconvening.

The closed session was called under the statutory exemption in the Open Public Meetings Act cited during the meeting. The board did not provide additional public details about the matters to be discussed at the time the meeting moved into closed session.