The following statement was submitted by Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo regarding the ongoing legal dispute involving the Greenwich Board of Education vacancy appointment, the Freedom of Information Commission proceedings, and related litigation between the Town of Greenwich and certain current and former Board of Education members.
The statement reflects Mr. Camillo’s views and characterization of the events and legal proceedings. Readers may review prior Greenwich Sentinel reporting on this matter through the links provided following the statement.
By Fred Camillo
For almost two years now, misinformation has been spread in the community regarding the lawsuit between the Town of Greenwich and the Board of Education’s current and former Democrat members, Sophie Koven, Karen Hirsh, Laura Kostin, and Kathleen Stowe.
What I set out below is indisputable fact, and easy to verify in the public record.
As we all know by now, the lawsuit surrounds Sophie Koven, Karen Hirsh, Laura Kostin, and Kathleen Stowe calling an illegal meeting to appoint Jennifer Behette to a then-vacant BOE seat. That this meeting was illegal is not my opinion, but was in fact the unanimous decision of the Freedom of Information Commission (FOIC), where the FOIC specifically determined that Sophie Koven, Karen Hirsh, Laura Kostin, and Kathleen Stowe not only called and illegal meeting, but “did not act in good faith” in calling their unlawful meeting.
The bad faith finding by the FOIC was due, at least in part, to the fact that these four members knew the Board of Selectmen had the right to appoint Paul Cappiali, via C.G.S. § 7-107, to the vacant seat because the BOE had neglected to timely fill that seat within 30 days. Indeed, the last time a BOE vacancy occurred, former BOE Chairman Peter Bernstein specifically noted to Karen Hirsh and Kathleen Stowe, at a June 23, 2021 BOE meeting, “that if the Board does not make a decision within 30 days the First Selectman makes the selection to fill the vacancy.”
With regard to this vacancy, in the Summer of 2024, as 30 days passed, I spoke to members of both parties on the BOE and told them that I would prefer they work it out between themselves and not bring it before me and the Board of Selectmen (BOS). Unfortunately, the BOE was not able to come to an agreement and then, after 96 days had elapsed, the BOS posted a meeting to fill the vacancy on more than 24-hours- notice, in compliance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
As soon as Sophie Koven, Karen Hirsh, Laura Kostin, and Kathleen Stowe saw that, they posted an emergency meeting on less than one-hour-notice, a clear violation of the FOIA, which the FOIC ruled in its unanimous decision. Sophie Koven, Karen Hirsh, Laura Kostin, and Kathleen Stowe then doubled-down by hiring counsel and threatening legal action if the BOS’s properlynoticed meeting went forward.
It is critical for all to understand that it was this threat by Sophie Koven, Karen Hirsh, Laura Kostin, and Kathleen Stowe, which prompted the FOIC filing and the pending lawsuit.
In sum, the BOS followed the law, and is seeking confirmation of such from the Court. To the contrary, Sophie Koven, Karen Hirsh, Laura Kostin, and Kathleen Stowe ignored the law, then proceeded to improperly retain counsel purportedly on behalf of the BOE, but in reality only to defend their own misconduct at Town expense. Sadly, and shockingly, Sophie Koven, Karen Hirsh, Laura Kostin, and Kathleen Stowe continue to state they were justified in calling the illegal meeting even when the FOIC voted unanimously against them and concluded that such conduct was done in bad faith.
Despite this entire issue and litigation being caused by Sophie Koven, Karen Hirsh, Laura Kostin, and Kathleen Stowe’s misconduct, they continue to spew misinformation into the public domain. So, I urge everyone to remember that when the Democratic Town Committee and its surrogates put out misleading and factually incorrect statements blaming me and the BOS for the current state of this dispute, it is—in reality— Sophie Koven, Karen Hirsh, Laura Kostin, and Kathleen Stowe (through their misconduct alone) that will potentially leave the Town on the hook for in excess of $500,000 (and counting) in legal fees and costs.
As such, I am once again calling on Sophie Koven, Karen Hirsh, Laura Kostin, and Kathleen Stowe to (i) stand down, (ii) respect the laws and judgments of the State of Connecticut, (iii) admit what we all already know, i.e., that they did not follow procedure as unanimously determined by the FOIC, and (iv) move on so we can close out this embarrassing and costly chapter in Town governance history.
For readers seeking additional background, the Greenwich Sentinel has published extensive coverage of the Board of Education vacancy dispute, the Freedom of Information Commission proceedings, and related litigation, including:
• “Board of Selectmen to Board of Ed: You Can’t Make Up Your Own Rules” (Nov. 1, 2024) https://www.greenwichsentinel.com/2024/11/01/board-of-selectmento-board-of-ed-you-cant-make-upyour-own-rules/
• “Breaking News: State Commission Issues Preliminary Ruling” (Oct. 10, 2025) https://www.greenwichsentinel.com/2025/10/10/breakingnews-state-commission-issuespreliminary-ruling-againstgreenwich-boe-democrats-over2024-meeting/
• “FOI Commission Rules Greenwich Board of Education Meeting Illegal; Appointment Nullified” (Oct. 23, 2025) https://www.greenwichsentinel.com/2025/10/23/foi-commissionrules-greenwich-board-of-educationmeeting-illegal-appointmentnullified/
