ORANGE — A town employee opted to have her disciplinary meeting before the Selectboard held in public Wednesday, despite the fact that such meetings are typically held behind closed doors.
Wendy Johnson, executive assistant to the town administrator and Selectboard, appeared before three of the four Selectboard members to defend herself against a formal complaint from Selectboard Chairman Ryan Mailloux — who was not present at the meeting.
In his complaint, read aloud by Selectboard Vice Chairwoman Jane Peirce, Mailloux states Johnson did not show up to work on June 21 and did not give proper notification of her absence until six days later.
Johnson asserted she did nothing wrong, and that’s why she chose to have the meeting held in open session, rather than executive session, as state law allows her. Joining her as “counsel” — though not a lawyer — was former Selectboard Chairman Richard Sheridan, who consulted with her at the beginning of the meeting.
“Thursday, June 21, I did not report to the Town Hall,” Johnson admitted. However, Johnson said she was attending a scheduled medical appointment, which she regularly has every four weeks “to the day.”
Johnson said that, in addition to her absence every four weeks being a regular occurrence, she told “pretty much everyone in this building (Town Hall)” that she would be absent that day and unable to attend a colleague’s party. She did not inform Town Administrator Gabriele Voelker of her upcoming absence because she could not get in touch with Voelker, Johnson said, so she told others whom she thought would inform Voelker.
Ultimately, the Selectboard deferred authority to Voelker, who will decide when and whether to discipline Johnson.
But Johnson said she has felt “bullied,” and, as a longtime town employee, is surprised that the Selectboard chairman would go ahead with a complaint, given that she is set to retire Aug. 17.
“You guys just went straight to executive session (to discipline me), and I don’t know why or how,” said Johnson, adding that she is a “vulnerable” employee, “not union” and “not protected.”
“I respectfully ask that you let me slide through these next couple of weeks,” Johnson said. “I’ve been bullied to the end and I’m done.”
Selectboard member Tom Smith said Johnson could have just emailed Voelker, which wouldn’t have created a problem. Furthermore, Mailloux wrote the absence “created a staffing issue in the office that day,” and the delayed response to his email inquiring about her absence was also cause for complaint.
Johnson and Mailloux were unreachable for further comment by deadline.