Video: O-O, School District Lawyers Make Their Case

Henry Murray, a lawyer for the Newtown owner-operators, and Floyd Dugas, a lawyer for the school district, square off in front of the Board of Labor Relations Dec. 29 in the first of several hearings held to decide whether the owner-operators are school district employees, and if true, whether their collective bargaining rights were violated when the school district awarded the school bus contract to All-Star Transportation.

While several members of the audience, including a representative of Newtown Patch, had their video cameras out and operating during opening statements, the labor board asked that they be turned off for the rest of the hearing, saying that a court reporter, who himself is an independent contractor, would transcribe all that was being said during the hearing.

Listen to the opening statements in the video above. For full print coverage of the proceedings, go to the article,