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Board cites Texas Open Meetings Act in closed-session grievance hearing
Summary
During its Feb. 10 meeting the Cedar Hill ISD Board said it consulted privately with counsel and held the Level 3 grievance hearing in closed session under Texas Government Code provisions (551.071, 551.074, 551.0821).
The Cedar Hill ISD Board of Trustees conducted a closed-session hearing under the Texas Open Meetings Act before returning to open session and taking action on a Level 3 employee grievance. The board cited Texas Government Code sections 551.071, 551.074 and 551.0821 as authorizing the closed session and named the board attorney, Rhonda Grass, as the person with whom the board may consult on procedural steps.
Chair read the statutory bases for private consultation, explaining that sections such as §551.071 permit attorney–client consultation on pending litigation or matters where the attorney's duties to the district require confidentiality. The chair recorded the board's closed-session end time (07:36) and reconvened the board in open session at 07:37 to permit public action on the grievance.
The transcript records the board following the statutorily prescribed sequence: identify the statutory authority for closed session, hold the closed hearing, and then take any action in open session. The record does not include a detailed public summary of what was discussed in closed session beyond the board's statutory citations and the ultimate open-session motion to deny the grievance.
