The Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to rule that the Greenwich Board of Education’s October 21, 2024 meeting was illegal and that the appointment made during that meeting is “null and void.”
The decision concludes a yearlong dispute over the board’s so-called “emergency meeting,” which the Commission determined violated state law. In its findings, the FOIC said the board’s Democratic leadership failed to provide proper public notice, acted in bad faith, and denied residents their legal right to transparency and participation.
“The Freedom of Information Commission unanimously ruled that the Board of Education’s October 21, 2024 meeting was illegal and that the appointment they tried to make that day was null and void,” First Selectman Fred Camillo said in a statement Thursday. “Our attorneys are evaluating next steps.”
The ruling effectively voids the appointment made at that meeting and calls into question all subsequent actions in which the unlawfully appointed member cast a vote, including the controversial 5–3 decision earlier this year to extend Superintendent Toni Jones’s contract through June 2028.
Camillo said he hopes the ruling will lead to a course correction in how the board conducts its business. “I sincerely hope that these members who the Commission found violated state law will pledge to abide by that law in the future and avoid putting the town through this unnecessary process again,” he said.
The town’s legal counsel is reviewing the decision to determine the next steps, including whether certain board actions will need to be reconsidered.
The FOIC’s decision represents a rare and sweeping rebuke of a local board, underscoring growing concerns about transparency and process in Greenwich Board of Education leadership. While the Board of Education has not yet commented on the ruling, the decision marks a significant setback for its leadership and a victory for town officials who argued that the October 2024 meeting undermined public trust.
