The University System of Maryland Board of Regents is acknowledging it violated state open meetings law by secretly calling a meeting to discuss the University of Maryland's move to the Big Ten athletic conference.
The board said in a statement Friday that officials "sincerely regret'' not following Maryland's Open Meetings Act, which requires public boards to announce meetings. Those meetings can then be closed if there is a legal reason.
"The matters discussed at each meeting were proper subjects for closed-session discussions in accordance with the Open Meetings Act,” the board's statement read, in part. “The USM board and officials and the Attorney General’s Office are thoroughly reviewing their practices to ensure that the USM vigilantly adheres to all of the Open Meetings Act’s procedural as well as substantive requirements.”
The regents met on two days in November without public notice.
The regents could face a lawsuit as a result, but a fine for the error would not be more than $100.
Maryland didn't need the board's approval to move to the Big Ten, but sought it because it was a high-profile decision.
