DURHAM, N.C. — Durham School Board members decided Wednesday night to limit public comment at meetings to items on the board's agenda.

The school board had taken up the issue at several meetings over the last few weeks, but was unable to decide until Wednesday.

Many of those meetings were marked by yelling and police involvement as members of the public became upset with the idea. During two meetings, members of the school board who opposed the idea left the meeting.

In Wednesday's meeting, police were again involved when Lewis Cheek, a county commissioner, was denied a seat after he spoke to the board encouraging passage of the measure and apparently offended some audience members.

The vote was 4-3 in favor of limiting public comment, with the vote along racial lines. The board still has to vote one more time to finalize the plan.