GREENFIELD – The Greenfield School Committee was found in violation of the Open Meeting Law and the committee already has taken corrective action, according to a letter from the state Attorney General’s office.

The determination letter from the Attorney General’s office was read into the record at Wednesday’s meeting, and in the same meeting the School Committee received Open Meeting Law training by Massachusetts Association of School Committees Field Director Liz Lafond.

Paul Jablon, a Greenfield resident and member of Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution, filed a complaint with the Attorney General May 2 about the committee’s apparent failure to follow laws that are set to ensure public officials discuss matters in public. He cited several emails he acquired and pointed most squarely at Greenfield School Committee member Susan Hollins, the former superintendent.

In his complaint, Jablon said the emails “are deliberative in nature because they address numerous topics including important budget issues — other than agendas and schedules — and in each instance the recipients constitute a quorum.”

Contacted Thursday, Jablon said he is satisfied that the School Committee received training despite the fact it took months to resolve. He said he hoped the committee would adhere to the Open Meeting Law from now on.

In the May 8 School Committee meeting where the complaint was presented, Mayor William Martin moved that the committee admit the violation as put forward by Jablon, publish the emails on the city’s website and that the committee attend an Open Meeting Law training. The motion was passed unanimously. All members of the committee were present for the meeting.

To read the emails, go to https://greenfield-ma.gov/n/319/School-Committee-Emails—Released-to-Public.

In the determination letter from Assistant Attorney General Sarah Chase, it was found “that the committee violated the Open Meeting Law as alleged.”

“Upon receipt of the Open Meeting Law complaint, the Committee examined its practices and acknowledged that its members had exchanged many emails that constituted deliberation outside of a posted meeting,” wrote Chase. “The Committee promptly took remedial action by releasing the improper emails to the public on the City’s website and committed to refrain from deliberating outside of a meeting in the future…However, the Committee has already taken corrective action by publicly releasing the emails that were exchanged in violation of the Open Meeting Law, and therefore we order no further remedial action.”

“We order the committee’s immediate and future compliance with the Open Meeting Law, and caution the committee that a determination by our office of a similar violation in the future may be considered evidence of intent to violate the Open Meeting Law,” Chase said. “We now consider the complaint addressed by this determination to be resolved.”

Reach Melina Bourdeau at mbourdeau@recorder.com or 413-772-0261 ext. 263.