SEEC manager suspended over words

Allegedly threatened to ‘shoot someone’ if her mother caught virus

A manager at the State Elections Enforcement Commission was suspended for 15 days without pay in November, two months after she allegedly told a co-worker during a stressful conversation at the agency’s Hartford office: “If my 80-yearold mother gets COVID, I will shoot someone.”

Linda Waterman, the SEEC’s $97,691-a-year director of campaign disclosure and audit, explained the Sept. 10 incident to a human resources investigator by describing the pressures of a punishing pre-election workload under difficult office protocols due to the pandemic.

She cited a “perfect” record of state employment for 13 years in which she had “never been in trouble,” has always earned “extremely good” work reviews and “has a great career and is always positive.”

Meanwhile, the co-worker to whom Waterman spoke on Sept. 10 — SEEC Legal Program Director Shannon Kief — didn’t view Waterman’s words as an actual threat.

But the incident was treated seriously by the agency’s director and state human resources officials, after other SEEC employees told them about it.

“Ms. Waterman did not admit directly to stating she would shoot someone if her mother got COVID. However, at least two employees report Ms. Waterman did say this. Accordingly,

Ms. Waterman’s threat to shoot someone is a direct violation of Violence in the Workplace Policy,” according to an internal investigation report written by Charla Vincent, a state human resources officer.

The report, which Government Watch obtained this past week via a public records request, was based on interviews Vincent conducted in September with nine SEEC employees, including Waterman. In it, Vincent gave Kief ’s account of the Sept. 10 incident as follows:

“Late in the afternoon on Thursday, September 10th, Salman Munir [who ranks second to Waterman in the audit unit] and Linda Waterman came into my office to discuss the status of ... applications” by General Assembly candidates for statefunded grants to their campaigns.

“Ms. Waterman appeared to be stressed regarding the timing of finishing reviews and staffing concerns.” It was the busiest time of the election year for her seven-member unit, which despite COVID, was still largely working in the SEEC

Priscilla Woodward Dugan, 92, formerly of Fayette, Maine, died peacefully on February 14, 2021 at Seabury Retirement Community in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Born November 22, 1928 in Rumford, Maine, she was the daughter of Dorr H. Woodward and Rowena (Pollard) Woodward, and the wife of the late Michael H. Dugan. Following graduation from Stephens High School in Rumford, Maine, she attended Nasson College in Springvale, Maine, where she received a Medical Secretarial diploma in 1948. She worked as a medical secretary at the Veterans Administration Center in Togus, Maine after graduating from Nasson.

After doing her student teaching at Skowhegan High School, she received a BS degree in Business Education from Husson College in Bangor, Maine in 1956. After graduation from Husson she taught Business Education at Eliot High School in Maine.

As her family responsibilities evolved, Priscilla shifted to work in the home but remained involved in her community by participating in volunteer activities including church, hospital and nursing home volunteer work, and various school programs. She also enjoyed substitute teaching. During the early 1960's Priscilla volunteered at St. Luke's Church in Bridgeport, Connecticut tutoring inner city youth in typing and secretarial skills for career advancement.

Priscilla was predeceased by her parents, her brothers Deane M. Woodward and Hildreth B. Woodward, sister Helene W. Kimball, her first husband William W. Ingraham and The Rev. Michael H. Dugan, her husband for over 40 years.

She invested herself in many arts and crafts, including knitting, sewing, needlepoint, hooking rugs, brass rubbing, painting and gourmet cooking. She and Mike worked together in their gardens with flowers and vegetables, and she spent many hours canning and freezing vegetables and making pickles and jams. Priscilla's greatest joy was creating and sharing experiences with her family, especially at the family vacation home on Lovejoy Pond in Fayette, Maine where she and Mike eventually retired.

She is survived by her 3 children: The Rev. Jeffrey S. Dugan and his wife Elizabeth of Bloomfield, Connecticut; Barbara Helene Dugan and her husband Dr. Steven C. Henricks of Stratham, New Hampshire and Peter M. Dugan of Greenland, New Hampshire. She has five grandchildren: Matthew Scott Dugan, Martha Claire Witinok, Christopher Sands Dugan, William Stewart Dugan and Emma Rachel Henricks. She has five greatgrandchildren: Declan, Kayla, Liam, Aria and Callan. Priscilla's family would like to express their profound gratitude to Seabury Retirement Community in Bloomfield, Connecticut for the excellent care she received throughout the eight years she was there. There are no calling hours. A private graveside service will occur at the family cemetery in Dresden, Maine in the summer of 2021. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Luke's Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 249, Wilton, ME 04938; The Pine Tree Society, 149 Front Street, Bath, ME 04530; or the Seabury Charitable Foundation, 200 Seabury Drive, Bloomfield, CT 06002. Arrangements are being handled by The Ahern Funeral Homes, Inc., www.ahernfuneralhome. com.

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Edward H. Hunt, 87, of East Windsor CT, passed away peacefully Tuesday, February 16, 2021. Ed was born in 1933, the 6th son of the late Oscar Hunt Sr and Margaret (House) Hunt. Ed lived in his family home his entire life where he raised four children with his late wife Mary. Ed retired from the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation in 1989 after 35 years of dedicated service. In his many years of retirement he enjoyed planting and tending his large garden every spring and summer. Ed and Mary would often take trips in their motorhome to visit family and friends. In his later years Ed enjoyed watching UCONN Women's Basketball and Saturday night dinners with his brother-in-law the late John Mazza, who passed away in November 2020. We wish the Hunts and Mazzas didn't always have to do everything together.

Ed is survived by his children, Kathleen Enes of East Windsor, Mary Benefit and her husband Douglas, of Chilmark M.V. MA, James Hunt and his wife Andrea Gordon of Bristol VT, and Joan Pixton and her husband Stephen of South Windsor, CT. Ed is also survived by his Grand Children Skye Kerns and Jeremy MacDuff and Great Grand Children Lily and Reese Kerns, and many nieces and nephews.

Besides his wife Mary, Ed is predeceased by his brothers Charles, Andrew, Eugene, Oscar Jr, Arthur, and two sisters, Margaret Mazza and Amy Daigle.

Services will be private and at the convenience of the family. For online condolences please visit www. pietrasfuneralhome.com.

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