I am the founder of the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center in Hampton Bays and was the executive director for 25 years. After the co-founder and president, Jim Hunter, passed away in 2022, and I subsequently retired, John Leonard was elected the organization’s new president.
For the next 11 months, Mr. Leonard managed to bully, alienate and disparage the rest of the board and the staff. Under his direction and guidance, the organization fired two employees in retaliation for them bringing urgent matters to the board’s attention. The employees complained, and the National Labor Relations Board agreed with the employees that their terminations were retaliatory. As a result, the organization had to pay tens of thousands of dollars in back pay, forward pay and incidentals. That year was the worst year fiscally for the Wildlife Center.
His hostile and erratic behavior continued until a special meeting of the board was scheduled to vote him off the board. With a final ruckus and person-bashing, he resigned.
The Town of Southampton needs cool, logical heads to run its affairs, not a loose cannon just waiting to blow.
Virginia Frati
Sag Harbor
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