{"id":23527,"date":"2024-07-19T15:52:52","date_gmt":"2024-07-19T19:52:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.teanecktoday.com\/blog\/?p=23527"},"modified":"2024-07-21T00:05:04","modified_gmt":"2024-07-21T04:05:04","slug":"transparency-won-kaplan-v-teaneck-boe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.teanecktoday.com\/blog\/board-of-education\/transparency-won-kaplan-v-teaneck-boe\/","title":{"rendered":"Transparency WON: Kaplan v. Teaneck BOE"},"content":{"rendered":"

A significant win for Transparency in Teaneck<\/h1>\n

“When we talk about the purpose of the open public meetings act and similar statutes, they are meant to provide relief to the public when the statutes are not being followed–and the rules are not being followed by the public entities.\u00a0 And in this instance, Mr Kaplan has come forward and shone a light on this particular issue at the Teaneck School Board.”
\n– Superior Court Judge Carol Novey Catuogno<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To properly notice a meeting<\/a>, the Board must post an annual list of meeting dates by January 10th of each year or notice a particular meeting with its agenda.\u00a0 You need to send the Notice to 2 newspapers, put it up on your website, send it to the Municipality and place it on the bulletin board so people can see.<\/p>\n

The Notice must be stated at the beginning of each meeting<\/a> and be included in the minutes<\/a> of the meeting.<\/p>\n

Teaneck has failed to properly notice meetings, for years.\u00a0 And now that must change<\/span> — by Court Order<\/a> of the Superior Court of the State of New Jersey, County of Bergen.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Months of warnings over an ongoing series of violations of the Transparency Law<\/h2>\n

For months, the Board members stood with Superintendent Spencer and the decisions to remove Principal Valdes, to operate without proper notice and to ignore the warnings that their decisions can be voided.\u00a0 The weight and influence of the Weiner Law Group gave cover and credibility to those acting in secret.<\/p>\n

Back in December<\/a>, I stated that Superintendent Spencer abused the community’s trust, by operating secretly and holding votes that did not in any way comply with the Open Public Meetings Act<\/a>, NJ’s “Sunshine Law”.\u00a0 Few took me seriously.<\/p>\n

And when Superintendent Spencer removed Principal Valdes from THS, I spoke up.\u00a0 The Board didn’t listen.<\/p>\n

I asked the Board to do the right thing–and redo the vote (according to the Sunshine rules).\u00a0 The Board refused.<\/p>\n

I explained to the Board of Educatio<\/a>n and the Public how the Sunshine rules regarding transparency required a new vote.\u00a0 The Board still refused to take action to remedy the violations.<\/p>\n

I went to meeting after meeting.\u00a0 I stood before the Board, and in January I said they had one last chance<\/span> before I forced them to do the right thing.\u00a0 The Board still refused.<\/p>\n