Appellate Court rules transparency, Rice Notice required

The Appellate Division has ruled that the absence of discussion about a person’s employment prior to a vote does not relieve the board of its responsibility to advise the employee of his/her right to have the matter publicly discussed. The published decision states: “…[T]he fact that the board voted…without discussion in order to avoid sending…Rice Read More …

Municipal clerk sues over exclusion from executive sessions

Hapatcong’s Clerk claims that she was excluded from certain executive session meetings at which the council discussed an internal complaint filed by her and other municipal employees. Her complaint states that her exclusion from those meetings “makes it impossible for [her]…to fulfill her statutory duties and also violates the Open Public Meetings Act with respect Read More …

Suit by Teacher Whose Students Wrote to Cop-Killer Proceeds

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 Read More …