Greenwich Democrats Power Grab – BOE Elections are Critical

The 2024 illegal power grab by the Democrat Controlled Board of Education is a warning sign of what a Democrat Controlled Greenwich would look like and why a conservative-run Greenwich is critical.

On October 21, 2024 the Democrat controlled Board of Education (BOE) held what has been determined to be an illegal meeting where they appointed someone that they knew would support them to fill a vacancy on the Board of Education. First Selectman Fred Camillo called this “the mother of all power grabs.”

The Selectman legally appointed someone else to fill the vacant position on the BOE. Yet, the BOE refused to seat the legally appointed BOE member and instead seated the BOE with their illegal replacement. The BOE then continued to conduct its business, including the extension of Superintendent Toni Jones’ contract prematurely, long before her existing contract was set to expire, probably due to this additional support that would not have existed at contract renewal time with the First Selectman’s legally appointed replacement.

Legal cases were filed by the Board of Selectman, despite the objection of the Democrat Selectwoman Janet Stone-McGuigan. This turned what should have only been a legal battle against the BOE into a partisan battle of Democrat Selectwoman and Democrat controlled BOE against the Republican First Selectman.

The Board of Selectman with Ms. Stone-McGuigan objected and filed a complaint against the BOE with the Freedom of Information Commission (”FOIC”). They also filed for a restraining order against the BOE.

Members of the Greenwich RTM attempted to defund the First Selectman’s legal fight to overturn the illegal action of the BOE.

The following are the facts as outlined in the Connecticut Centinal

“Here Are The Hearing Officer’s Key Findings:

• Sometime between October 17th and October 21st, the Greenwich Board of Selectmen (BOS) published notice of a remote special meeting for October 22nd at 9am for one thing: “Discussion and vote on Board of Education vacancy”; the meeting was ultimately scheduled for 3pm on October 22nd.

• On October 21st at 10:48am, the Democrats filed with the Greenwich Town Clerk public notice of a “remote emergency meeting” to be held just 42 minutes later that same day at 11:30am for the purpose of “filling of a Board vacancy (Policy [Bylaw] 9221).”

• The Town Clerk stamped the notice as “received” at 11:21 am, just 9 minutes before the emergency meeting was scheduled to convene.

• The Democrats did not provide notice of the meeting pursuant to CGS § 1-225(d), which Bylaw 9221 references.

• The Democrat-called October 21st emergency meeting had a quorum with five of seven BOE members present: the four Dems, along with republican Michael-Joseph Mercanti-Anthony.

• During the meeting it was found that Acting Chair Hirsh mentioned the “BOS noticed a special meeting for the following day to fill” the BOE vacancy and insisted that it was the Democrat-led board’s “statutory responsibility to fill such vacancy” pursuant to CGS § 10-219.

• At the FOI hearings and in their brief, the Democrats alleged that the BOS was using Camillo’s meeting to try to “interfere with” and “usurp” the Democrat-controlled board’s “authority to fill a board vacancy in less than 24 hours.”

• Camillo argued that the Democrats’ reason for convening their October 21st meeting as an “emergency” didn’t meet the meaning of CGS § 1-225(d) and that the meeting was illegal under the FOI Act; he further asserted that the BOS had full authority to fill the open BOE seat pursuant to CGS § 7-107.

• Under Connecticut Supreme Court Case Ridgefield v. FOIC, it was determined that an “emergency” must be “unexpected or unforeseen” and “must necessitate immediate action”; however, it was found that the Democrats’ “predicament was not unexpected or unforeseen.”

• Since Bylaw 9221 references CGS §§ 7-107 and 10-219, the Democrats “should have been aware of the significance of those statutes in relation to their duty to fill Ms. Kowalksi’s vacancy.”

• Plus, the need to dispense with standard notice of a special meeting was also avoidable had the Democrat-led board chosen to act during the 94 days between Ms. Kowalksi’s departure and the special emergency meeting.

• As such, it was found that the meeting wasn’t an “emergency” within CGS § 1-225(d).

Now, the FOIC can provide relief that it “believes appropriate to rectify the denial of any right conferred by the [act]” and that includes declaring any action “null and void” that was “taken at any meeting which a person was denied the right to attend.”

It was also found that the Democrats “deprived the public of access to the appointment of an official who ... would otherwise have been elected to serve by the public.”

It was further found that the Democrats did not act in good faith to comply with the notice requirements of the FOI Act with respect to the October 21st “emergency” meeting.

The Commission recognizes that nullification “may call into question the legality of any actions by the respondent board in which Ms. Behette’s vote constituted a deciding vote.”

Nonetheless the FOIC believes the “proper remedy” would be to “declare null and void the action taken” at the October 21st meeting, aka the “sham emergency meeting” where the Democrats attempted the coup.”

Here is the Finding in their words:

The FOIC will issue the final ruling on October 22, 2025.

What is most significant and most frightening is the joint collaboration by the Democrat Selectwoman and the Democrat controlled BOE to block the legal challenge to what proved to be an illegal act of the BOE in violation of the meeting and notice requirement of Section 1-225(d) of the Connecticut General Statutes.

Is this what a Democrat controlled Greenwich would look like where a board, specifically the BOE, which controls over $200 million or over 40% of the total town budget, to engage in an illegal act and then do whatever they can to block a challenge to their illegal behavior.

Greenwich voters must say no to such rogue action on the part of Greenwich Democrats by electing Republicans as

First Selectman (Fred Camillo)

Selectwoman (Lauren Rabin)

Town Clerk (Jackie Budkins)

Tax Collector (Heather Smeriglio)

Remember it was First Selectman Fred Camillo and Selectwoman Lauren Rabin who stood up, fought and won the battle against illegal behavior by the Democrat controlled BOE. It was Selectwoman and Democrat Stone McGuigan who did not support the nullification of an illegal act by the BOE.

It cannot be Rules for Thee and Not For Me – which is becoming the Democrat Mantra and its awful that this is completely on partisan lines.

Over $200 million dollars of the annual Greenwich budget is controlled by the BOE. Illegal actors should not be trusted to control the education of our children and how the budget is allocated.

The remainder of the budget is controlled by the BET (Board of Estimate and Taxation). Here too we have a Republican tradition of responsible fiscal spending and keeping taxes low to make Greenwich as affordable as possible while spending more per pupil on education than any of our neighboring towns.

Success should rewarded at the ballot box by voting for the Republican BET slate and Row B this November.

EARLY VOTING IS GOING ON NOW!