From Brian Lockhart, CT Post:
Was City Librarian Scott Hughes, one of the few black department heads, fired over his political involvement? Or did his political ambitions hurt his job performance?
Those questions are heading for state Superior Court.
Hughes is suing his bosses, the library board, over members’ decision last month to terminate him after over nine years. The firing came after months of tension during which Hughes was placed on probation from his $116,000 position to improve his management style and his communication skills.
Full story here.
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The city Council should vote on removing the library board members with expired terms.
So running for political office was a behavior some members of the library board found unacceptable?
We’re Back in the USSR, folks!
WRONG!!!
Back in the US
Back in the US
BACK IN THE USSR
WRONG!!!
Go for it, Scott!!! If you don’t get your job back you should get at least a nice cash settlement.
WRONG!!!!!!!!!
Speaking of which, did AJ ever rule on the police action the City Attorney’s Office had been sitting on?
Acting Chief AJ Perez has made statements frequently and again this week about how certain disciplinary matters in the PD will be communicated to the public. Finally, perhaps.
A Deputy Chief, speaking to B&A members earlier in the week said Civil Service is looking at testing to move Chief AJ from “acting” to just plain Chief. It does not pay to bet on how long something will take to surface in Bridgeport (or whether there will be an honest explanation when it does appear).
For example, there is the question about where Mayor Ganim will dump his luggage when he returns from Israel. How many months does it take for a very simple question to be answered? Can we assume City Hall does not read OIB? Or is it more favorable to assume it is a matter of Mayoral “privilege?” Time will tell.
Respectfully Mr. Marshall, your comments are always spot on. OIB while an awesome local site, is limited in scope and audience. The mayor now has a Twitter account and a FB account the general public are more likely to use for their daily information. Being called out on OIB, Facebook and Twitter would be harder to ignore.
Was City Librarian Scott Hughes, one of the few black department heads, fired over his political involvement? Or did his political ambitions hurt his job performance? What is the City’s past practices in firing department heads?
Sadly, once again the taxpayers will take the hit after they make Acting Police Chief Perez to the position of Police Chief Perez and where Perez will retire and then start drawing his pension and his salary as Police Chief. Right behind that they will make Acting Fire Chief Richard Thode to become the Fire Chief and he’ll retire and start drawing his pension and his salary as the Fire Chief.
Where is the decision on Police Lieutenant Lonnie Blackwell?
MAYBE, BLACK OR WHITE, SCOTT HUGHES DID NOT DO HIS JOB?
Why does Jim Fox continuously attack and denigrate the Bridgeport Library Board? Every single time. As well as all the smart asses here. How many of you have gone to meetings of the Library Board? Take a look at the minutes of the Library Board meetings and see the continuous requests for Scott Hughes TO PLEASE DO YOUR JOB. Of course, the race card is pulled out for maximum effect. DID YOU GO TO LIBRARY BOARD MEETINGS? DID YOU SEE THE LACK OF PROGRESS ON REMODELING THE MAIN BRANCH? AT TIMES THERE WERE NO RESTROOMS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AT THE MAIN BRANCH. SCOTT HUGHES WHO LOST/BLEW A ONE MILLION DOLLAR GRANT TO BUILD ADDITIONAL BRANCHES? Every time I saw Scott Hughes, he looked unhappy. My own personal opinion; Scott Hughes no longer had his heart in his job.
WRONG!!!!!!!!!
WRONG!!!!!!!!!
“Every time I saw Scott Hughes, he looked unhappy. My own personal opinion; Scott Hughes no longer had his heart in his job.” So Frank, you judge people by how they look? Get real, and his heart is no longer in his job, get the hell out of here with that bullshit.
Scott Hughes is a professional and certainly does not need to play the race card, at all. It may serve his purpose this time but it is not necessary. Sometimes people need to move on. I do not believe he was fired because he was black and just because there are few blacks in powerful positions in the city does not mean he gets to keep it. It will be difficult having to find a new position.
I agree with Frank Gyure, I think the library board has proper documentation. I think the members of the library board care a great deal about the city and the library. I think the appointment of John Soltis to step it up was a good choice. I do not think there is a cash settlement or job in Hughes’ future. I like him and respect him but let’s get real. Leave it to Bob Walsh to suggest that. I respect the Black leadership coming out in support of Scott Hughes. This just isn’t a black issue and should not be made into one. I am impressed with Frank Gyure holding his ground. I had been a manager of Home Depot hiring and fire hundreds. I am certain if you have proper documentation you must follow through. This is not about personality or race. This is about performance. I wish Scott the best of luck. I think there was only one member in support and it doesn’t take an idiot to understand their agenda.
Steve, that’s mighty white of you.
Stevie, WRONG!!!
For nine years Scott was a good guy, until he ran for political office.
Jimfox, BINGO!!!
RON MACKEY–WHEN YOU MADE THAT COMMENT “THAT’S MIGHTY WHITE OF YOU,” DID YOU PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO IT? I AM WHITE. WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH IT? I KNOW SCOTT HUGHES, I SUPPORTED SCOTT HUGHES IN HIS POLITICAL ASPIRATIONS. ONLY IN THE CITY OF BRIDGEPORT DO PEOPLE CLING TO THEIR JOBS INSTEAD OF MOVING ON. SCOTT HAD ISSUES. THEY WERE ADDRESSED. RON MACKEY, SAVE YOUR BLACK ISSUES FOR OTHERS I AM NO LONGER INTERESTED IN GETTING INTO EMBRACING YOUR BLACKNESS. I NOTICE YOU HADN’T MADE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT WHATEVER HIS NAME WAS, THE FOOTBALL PLAYER, THE HERO OF YOUR COMMUNITY SITTING ON HIS ASS FOR THE NATIONAL ANTHEM. WELL THE MILLIONAIRE PIECE OF CRAP DIDN’T VOTE. OH YEAH, HE DIDN’T VOTE FOR THE BLACK PRESIDENT TWICE. HOW ABSOLUTELY LAUGHABLE IS YOUR HERO. SCOTT HUGHES’ ISSUE IS NOT A BLACK ISSUE, SIMPLY PERFORMANCE. I WISH HUGHES WELL. YOU RON MACKEY, KEEP ON THE BLACK THING. REALLY MAKES US CRACKERS SUPPORT YOUR CAUSE, YOU DISRESPECTFUL IDIOT!
Steve, just like I said, that’s mighty white of you. You are all over the place, by the way, why has Scott Hughes been on his position for nine years and now all of the sudden he’s not a good employee?
Ron Mackey, I have had people in positions for 10-plus years. Sometimes shit happens! We move on. I am not all over the place. I am just calling it the way it is. The day he was terminated I wished him well and said exactly what I said on this blog. He was not a mediocre hire that needed affirmative action to get this job and he will not use affirmative action to keep this job. He will move on to a much better position and I think there could be a little respect given to the library board members who do not get paid for their time and talent.
You said, “I NOTICE YOU HADN’T MADE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT WHATEVER HIS NAME WAS, THE FOOTBALL PLAYER, THE HERO OF YOUR COMMUNITY SITTING ON HIS ASS FOR THE NATIONAL ANTHEM. WELL THE MILLIONAIRE PIECE OF CRAP DIDN’T VOTE,” and “He was not a mediocre hire who needed affirmative action to get this job and he will not use affirmative action to keep this job.” What in hell does that have to do with Scott Hughes?
Did I give you the impression I wanted to continue the conversation? I am not interested in discussing anything “black-ish” relating to Scott Hughes. He is a big boy and will survive. On the other hand I have 3rd graders who sit down during the pledge because their fathers gave them permission. It is 2016, not 1964. The football player is no hero and didn’t even vote now or in 2008 or 2012, a real role model. Nothing to do with Scott Hughes, just something I wanted to address. I lost a friend over this incident and now it is so laughable!
Steve, so “He is a big boy,” Scott Hughes is a grown-ass man, definition: 1. Used to reply angrily to an absurd suggestion.
WRONG!!!
WRONG!!!
WRONG!!!
Stevie A, out of all the hundreds people you fired at Home Depot, I’m just surprised no one came back and hit you in the flucking head with a shovel.
VERY NICE, JIM FOX.
Ron, who terminates someone three months before their vested rights? Only a vindictive bunch of pricks, that’s who!
Breaking News, CNN: Kanye West did not vote, but if he did he would have voted for Trump!
Kanye West running for President in 2020.
It’s obvious both Jim Fox and Ron Mackey are completely ignorant of the situation with Scott Hughes. Even worse, Messrs. Fox and Mackey refuse to do any basic research into this issue. Scott Hughes’ issues go back several years. This may have been turned into a black vs white issue at the last moment in an effort to save Hughes’ job but the lack of performance issue did not come out of the blue. One of the worst results was a demoralized library staff that suffered under the poor performance of the Head Librarian but was also disappointed the Board did not act sooner to address the poor performance issue.
I wish Scott Hughes all the best. He is smart, decent and a good librarian. Yes, it may only be my opinion, but I felt he was no longer happy in Bridgeport. Losing a job is not a happy time but I think Scott Hughes will be able to find employment in his field.