Prince George's County Board of Education votes to close Jan. 8 meeting for oral arguments and appeals

The Prince George's County Board of Education voted 7-0 on Jan. 8, 2026 to close its meeting to the public so it could hear oral arguments and appeals, Board Chair Brandon D. Jackson said.

Jackson read the board's stated legal basis for the closure as "general provisions article 3-305, citations 1, 2, 7, 8, and 12" and cited the board's rules of procedure for Internet meetings (section 4). He said the subject matter under consideration involved employee identities and ongoing or anticipated legal disputes that "could result in financial losses, damages, or reputational legal consequences." The chair identified the session's purpose as hearing oral arguments and appeals.

Before the vote the clerk, Miss Johnson, read the roll. The roll call produced seven affirmative votes; the clerk announced, "There are 7 in the affirmative." No individual motion mover or seconder was recorded in the public portion of the transcript. The board then adopted the motion to close the Jan. 8, 2026 meeting and members were instructed to exit the public meeting and properly join the special closed session.

The meeting record shows only the procedural steps and the statutory citations used to justify the closed session. No public details of the appeals or oral arguments were disclosed in the public portion of the meeting. The board moved into the closed session for the stated purpose of hearing the appeals and oral arguments.