From The Morning Journal Within minutes of convening in special session Wednesday night, the city school board adjourned after the treasurer said a proposed executive session would be illegal.
The meeting had been called by board members Patricia Persohn and Richard Wolf to consider complaints against public employees, specifically complaints made by Liverpool Township Police Chief Jayson Jackson against Superintendent Melissa Watson, buildings and grounds Director Sam Halstead and board member Bill Cowan.
Wednesday's printed agenda revealed the purpose of the meeting was to meet and discuss with ex-Steubenville Municipal Court judge John Mascio Sr. the scope of the investigation and the terms and conditions of his proposed hiring as investigator into Jackson's complaint.
Mascio was present in the audience.
When the meeting convened, Wolf moved to enter executive session to discuss Jackson's complaint, inviting Mascio to join the board, but Treasurer Kathy Jo Laughlin spoke up, saying the closed-door session was not allowable, according to the district's attorneys.
She referred to case law provided by attorneys, stating, "You didn't specify in your meeting notice that you were going into executive session," to which Wolf replied, "You can go into executive session at any meeting," but Laughlin replied, "Not according to law."