Two local school boards are switching to fully remote meetings, after meetings last month were interrupted when audience members refused to wear face masks.
Orchard Park's meeting Tuesday will be virtual, and the Oct. 18 Clarence School Board meeting will be entirely on Zoom, the district announced in a notice on its website.
Clarence ended its meeting Sept. 20 just shy of 8 minutes in, when the board voted to adjourn until there was compliance with the masking policy.
Orchard Park School Board members called an executive session during their meeting Sept. 14 after a number of audience members refused to wear masks. They came back only after parents attending the meeting decided to wear masks. The district expected the same thing to happen Tuesday.
The district "received credible notice" that parents would not comply with the universal masking required in schools at the next and future meetings, according to a message on the district webpage.
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"Taking this information into consideration along with the events that took place during the Sept. 14 BOE meeting, the Board of Education has made the determination to transition meetings to a virtual format until further notice. This decision was made under the advisement of local law enforcement and legal counsel," the Orchard Park message said.
The meetings will be streamed live on the district website.
"This is not a decision that was arrived at easily. The members of the Board of Education and the superintendent of schools take an oath of office to uphold all laws and regulations of the state and federal government," the statement said.
Clarence's Sept. 20 meeting ended after Board President Michael Fuchs and Vice President James Boglioli repeatedly reminded people in the audience they were required under state and Erie County public health regulations to wear face masks that cover their mouths and noses.
The response to the meeting adjournment was not captured on the district's video recording of the meeting. But a Clarence Bee article described the meeting plunging into "total anarchy," with some audience members shouting profanities at departing board members and arguing the adjournment violated state Open Meetings Law. Audience members debated among themselves whether to put masks on, so that the board would return, or to hold their own, "no-limits" meeting instead, the newspaper reported.
Attendees included Peter J. Harding, WGRZ-TV reported, a Cheektowaga man who was accused by federal prosecutors of taking part in the storming of the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6. He also attended and spoke at the Aug. 30 Clarence School Board meeting, which featured a lengthy debate over the district's mask mandate, as The Buffalo News previously reported.
The chaotic, back-and-forth audience discussion on Sept. 20 ended at about 7:30 p.m., when an announcement was made that the meeting would not restart and everyone would have to leave the Clarence High School library, where the session was held, and the school itself, according to the Bee.
The School Board held a virtual special meeting on Sept. 23 to cover agenda items, including hiring decisions, that were not addressed at the meeting three days earlier.
At the beginning of the Sept. 23 meeting, Fuchs read a statement apologizing to district residents, particularly those who attended the earlier meeting and followed masking rules, for the premature end to the session.
The work of the board was "interrupted by those who had no interest in the agenda for the evening proceeding," he said.
School boards throughout the country have become battlegrounds for those upset with masking and vaccine requirements. Attorney General Merrick Garland directed the FBI and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to meet in the next 30 days with federal, state, Tribal, territorial and local law enforcement leaders to discuss strategies for addressing harassment, intimidation and threats of violence toward school board members, teachers and workers.
The New York State School Boards Association said it is devoting efforts to provide school boards and administrators with tools to diffuse public expressions of anger and upset.
"We also recognize that a fundamental, bedrock principal of our democracy is the ability of citizens to communicate their views directly to elected leaders. Open discussion is at the root effective school governance. We support the right of all citizens to voice – within the bounds of the law and appropriate decorum – their views about decisions that affect their children and communities," the association said in a statement.
Both districts will allow public comments from those who have registered in advance. In Orchard Park, those who want to comment should email District Clerk Cheryl Connors at cconnors@opschools.org before 3 p.m. the day of the meeting. Only district residents, students or employees can make a comment at the Orchard Park meeting.
In Clarence, those who want to make public comments at the Oct. 18 meeting must call 407-9100 before noon Oct. 15. Everyone will be asked to provide their name, address, email address and the topic of their public comment. Once registered, individuals will receive an email with a link and a passcode to join the webinar to comment.
News Staff Reporter Stephen T. Watson contributed to this report.
