From Brian Lockhart, CT Post:
Members of the city’s Library Board did not violate state Freedom of Information laws when they privately discussed embattled Library Director Scott Hughes’ performance without him in the room, a state official said.
The board’s Personnel Committee convened behind closed doors Wednesday to decide what to do about Hughes. Earlier this year, members came close to firing Hughes, but instead placed him on probation to try to improve his management of the library system and his communication with the board.
Hughes was expected to attend Wednesday’s meeting, but instead took a personal day off from work.
One of his allies on the personnel committee–Sauda Baraka–walked out of Wednesday’s meeting, arguing that under Connecticut’s Freedom of Information laws the committee could not talk about Hughes without him being present.
… But Thomas Hennick, the public education officer for the state Freedom of Information Commission, said afterward in an interview that the Personnel Committee was only obligated to inform Hughes of the meeting.
Full story here.
Here we go again. This issue (job performance of Scott Hughes) has been going on for quite a while, at least a solid year. The Library Board had better have police presence because Ernest Newton will be there with his gang to verbally and physically intimidate the board. I would not surprised if City Councilperson Mary McBride-Lee will be there waiving her CC ID card around and threatening Board members she will have them removed. Board Member Sauda Baraka will reach into her bag of tricks to find more delaying tactics. We’ll see what happens.
Oust the Board!