New Lebanon fired other village employees last month
The same March day that most of New Lebanon’s top village leadership was fired, three additional employees were also terminated, according to new documents obtained by Dayton Daily News.
Administrative assistant Ann-Marie Joy, code enforcement administrator Melody Davis, and seasonal parks coordinator Marilyn Brown were each issued notices of termination in March.
Joy, Davis and Brown did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Dayton Daily News.
Acting Village Manager Rob Anderson sent nearly identical termination letters dated March 22 to Joy and Davis. The letters did not include specific reasons for the firings.
“We are writing to formally notify you of the termination of your employment with the village of New Lebanon, effective as of 5 p.m. on March 22, 2024,” both letters read. “This decision has been made following recent events at the village of New Lebanon, leading us to believe that it is in the best interest of both the village ... and the citizenry at large that we serve to end our employment relationship.”
Anderson goes on to cite each employee’s “at will” status, meaning the employment relationship can be terminated at any time, with or without notice or cause, by either party.
March 22 was also the day that village Chief Financial Officer Phillip Hinson, police Chief Curtis Hensley and Service Superintendent Scott Brock were terminated, in moves that special counsel Mike McNamee, who is leading the village’s internal investigation, said were “for cause.”
On March 19, village manager Glena Madden was fired by village council in a 4-3 vote, and that same day, village Law Director Ron Keener, who worked on a contracted basis, was notified that his services were no longer needed.
Several of those terminated employees have spoken out against the move or have filed lawsuits.
Brown, who worked mostly from home during the winter months, was notified of her termination via email on March 13.
“I am terminating your employment with the village effective immediately,” Anderson wrote in the email.
“Before I process the hours you submitted ... yesterday, please send me the data you compiled from last year’s events and a summary of the research you completed for the upcoming season, and any updated documents, booklets, etc. you have prepared as part of the winter responsibilities you stated in your email dated March 1.”
On Feb. 29, Anderson had sent an email to Brown introducing himself and requesting a list of Brown’s responsibilities and tasks as part of her role as seasonal parks director.
Brown responded with these details on March 1. Eleven days later, on March 12, Anderson replied to Brown’s email requesting she stop all work for the village and return any village equipment or supplies. Brown was officially terminated one day later.
Anderson said last week that Joy and Davis are in the process of appealing their terminations, but noted Brown had not appealed at that time.
Brown was hired by the village in May 2022 on a parttime basis. Davis had worked in her position since 2019.
Joy was hired on a parttime basis within the parks department in 2016. In 2022, she was hired on full time as an administrative assistant.
The village of New Lebanon has been shrouded in controversy since sudden February council votes to place Madden and the four additional department leaders on leave, and to start an internal investigation into alleged misconduct among village staff.
Those were 4-3 votes, with newly elected David Nickerson, Timothy Back and Melissa Sexton in the majority along with Nicole Adkins. Voting no were council members Gale Joy, Lyndon Perkins and Tammy Loch.
An investigation into activities within the village’s administrative, financial and legal departments, led by special counsel Mike McNamee, is ongoing.
The terminations have brought the total number of staff down to 50 employees in the village of 3,800 people, according to documents provided by Anderson. This includes both full- and parttime positions in the administrative, fire, parks, police, tax and utility departments.