Board deadlocks on settlement in Camillo v. Hirsch; authorizes attorneys to resume expedited talks

The Greenwich Board of Education considered a settlement offer in the litigation Camillo v. Hirsch at its June 22 meeting but failed to approve the proposal after a tie vote. A later procedural motion directing the board’s attorney to continue expedited settlement discussions with attorneys representing the town passed unanimously.

During the litigation item board members debated process and transparency: several said they had not received or had insufficient time to review the written offer before the public meeting and argued that the public and named individuals should have access to the proposed terms before an approval vote. Others said the public is weary of continued litigation and urged a path to resolution that would conserve public resources.

A motion described in the meeting as "to accept the settlement offer from the first selectman in Camillo v. Hirsch subject to further pending review" was put forward and then voted on; the motion resulted in a 4–4 tie and did not pass. The meeting record shows strong differences among members on whether approving such an offer without fully publishing its terms to the board and public was procedurally appropriate.

After that vote, the board approved a separate motion unanimously to authorize the board attorney to meet, on an expedited and preferably face‑to‑face basis, with attorneys representing the town to continue settlement negotiations. Board members described the subsequent motion as a directive to pursue discussions with the intention of finding a mutually agreeable solution in the coming weeks; the board recorded the vote on that motion as 8–0.

Next steps: The board attorney will meet with town representatives to attempt to negotiate a settlement acceptable to both entities; any final settlement would require a publicvote once terms are ready to present.