BOE Special Meeting - 2.28.22

COLCHESTER BOARD OF EDUCATION
                            Colchester, CT


                             SPECIAL BOARD MEETING


                                February 28 ~ 3:30 P.M.
                          Special Education Conference Room
                              And Via Video Conference

                                        MINUTES

BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Alexander Oliphant, Donna Antonacci, Margo
Gignac, Christopher Rivers (A. Oliphant left the meeting at 5:25 PM)

ADMINISTRATION PRESENT: Superintendent Jeffrey Burt, Bacon Academy Principal
Matt Peel

OTHERS PRESENT: Board of Education Attorney Anne Littlefield, SRO Craig Scheel (via
ZOOM), Mother of Student A (via ZOOM), Attorney Jennifer Zito (via ZOOM), Attorney
Carolyn Dugas (via Zoom)

1. CALL TO ORDER
   Chair Oliphant called the Expulsion Hearing to order at 3:35 PM.

2.   EXECUTIVE SESSION – EXPULSION HEARING ON STUDENT A
     Motion by: D. Antonacci
     To move into executive session for the purpose of conducting an expulsion hearing.
     Superintendent Burt, Principal Peel, SRO Scheel, Attorney Littlefield, Attorney Zito,
     Attorney Dugas and Parent of Student A were invited to join the Executive Session.
     Second: Margo Gignac
     Vote: Unanimous
     Roll Call: Donna Antonacci, Margo Gignac, Christopher Rivers, Alexander Oliphant

     Public Session was entered at 9:23PM.

3. *MOTION(S) REGARDING OUTCOME OF EXPULSION HEARING ON STUDENT A
   MOVED: The Board of Education hearing panel finds that the student who is the subject
   of this hearing engaged in behavior that constitutes grounds for expulsion under state law
   and Board policy. The Board directs Attorney Anne Littlefield to draft an expulsion
   hearing decision consistent with its factual findings and conclusions as discussed by the
   panel during its deliberations. On the basis of the Board’s findings, the Board of
   Education expels the student who is the subject of this hearing from all school property
   and all school-sponsored activities, for approximately one calendar year, commencing
     February 2, 2022 and continuing through the last day of the first semester of the
     2022-2023 school year. During any period of exclusion from school imposed by this
     expulsion hearing decision, the administration shall provide the student with an
     alternative educational opportunity, as determined by the administration in a manner
     consistent with law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board permits the administration
     to readmit the student to school on a probationary basis, no earlier than the first day of the
     2022-2023 school year, if the administration determines, in its sole discretion, that the
     student has complied with all Board policies and procedures pertaining to student
     discipline during the alternative educational opportunity and the student has demonstrated
     appropriate effort and attendance in the alternative educational opportunity. If the
     administration decides to readmit the student, it shall be on a probationary basis. If, after
     any probationary readmission, the administration determines that the student has engaged
     in any conduct for which he could be expelled or suspended under Board policy, the
     administration may re-impose the period of exclusion from school through the last day of
     the first semester of the 2022-2023 school year, without the need to reconvene a Board
     level hearing.

     So Moved by: C.Rivers
     Second: M. Gignac
     Vote: Unanimous
     Roll Call: Donna Antonacci, Margo Gignac, Christopher Rivers


  4. ADJOURNMENT
     The meeting adjourned at 9:27PM.

*POSSIBLE ACTION ITEM