School Committee Expected to Reply to Court Ruling Tonight

The Barrington School Committee is expected to respond tonight to the recent Superior Court ruling that said it often disregarded Rhode Island's Open Meetings Act when posting its meeting agendas.

That same ruling on Nov. 15 by Superior Court Judge Brian Stern said the School Committee was within its rights to meet behind closed doors in executive session in 2009 to discuss mandatory breathalyzer tests for students attending high school dances.

The lawsuit was filed by the Rhode Island ACLU and the Barrington Times newspaper. Both sides to the lawsuit had indicated that they might appeal the portions of the ruling that went against them.

The ruling that went against the School Committee said it disregarded the spirit and purpose of the Open Meetings Act when creating its agendas. Superintendent Robert McIntyre and former School Committee chairman Jim Hasenfus created those agendas in 2009. Hasenfus no longer serves on the board.

Robert Shea, the current chairman, was a member of the School Committee in 2009. But he did not help to create agendas as he does now with the superintendent.