Closed Session

Recently, our School Board Member Susan Evans, disclosed on her Facebook page, some of the discussion and details relating to the manner which the courts would be handling the criminal cases of William Barber and his cohorts who disrupted a school board meeting back in June 2010. This was very poor judgment on her part and is probably a good time to clarify what is referred to as "closed session". A closed session is when an elected body meets out of public view.

There are only a few topics which are permitted in closed session, they include: consultation with an attorney on a legal matter, discussion on real property acquisition, economic development matters involving a prospective new business or the expansion of an existing business as well as personnel matters which consider the fitness or performance of a town employee. Before such a session is called, a motion must be made citing the reasons for the closed session as well as the applicable General Statute.

The issue before the school board fell within the consultation with attorney realm. Ms. Evans really should not have disclosed anything from those closed discussions. We can chalk this up to a rookie mistake by Evans, but I am sure that the board attorney covered what should and should not be publicly discussed. It appears that she was irritated by some reports written by a N&O reporter and she lashed out on Facebook. This error on her part may not have caused too much harm, but she really needs to be more careful in the future.