Can a public body deliberate in private when a Rice Notice recipient has opted to have the matter addressed at an open public meeting? Is a public body compliant simply by holding a public hearing when no board discussion occurs in open session? This is the subject of a case — Zuniga v. Orange BOE — before the Essex County Superior Court. The Court has rejected a Motion to Dismiss, so the case will proceed. The school board claims it was not required to discuss the matter in public. The judge did not disagree but noted the matter concerns whether it was appropriate for the board to engage in private discussions. – NJFOG
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by Michael Booth
New Jersey Law Journal
February 18, 2016
Read article here.
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RESOURCE:
What is “Rice” Notice and when does it apply? It’s not always clear when a municipality must issue a Rice notice, which is a notice to a public municipal employee that he or she is going to be discussed by the governing body. The protection is intended to give the employee the right to have the discussion about them held in public. The following article provides a good summary:
Roselle Park News
by Saul Qersdyn
March 3, 2016
http://www.roselleparknews.org/rice-notice-what-is-it-and-why-it-was-cited-incorrectly/
OTHER ARTICLES/POSTS ON THIS TOPIC:
http://njrandomgovt.blogspot.com/2016/03/brooklawn-school-board-officials.html