Letters

I lament writing this because I respect the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center’s mission. My hand is forced, however, to counter the false narratives about my board membership spread by Virginia Frati [“A Loose Cannon,” Letters, February 6] and Laurie Anderson [“A Bully,” Letters, February 6]. All of what follows is documented in the board’s communications and minutes.

When I joined the board, Frati was the executive director and decided to retire. The board hired Chris Strub to fill the position. Chris was the director of wildlife rehabilitation at the Schuylkill Center, a successful wildlife rehabilitation clinic outside of Philadelphia. Preeminently qualified, he came with stellar references and did amazing work.

Chris started on September 6, 2022. We voted Frati onto the board on October 25, 2022, out of respect for her. Her employment terminated on October 31, 2022. Nobody “pushed her out,” as she claims.

Exhibiting founder’s syndrome, Frati became hostile when we protected Chris from her constant fault-finding and addressed with her our discovery that she collected over $2,000 in salary from the center after her employment ended.

Frati then resorted to sabotage. She refused to attend board meetings, discouraged donors from supporting the center, unilaterally canceled the center’s permits and interfered with staff to undermine Chris’s authority. Her conduct caused donations to dwindle, turned public sentiment against the center and fomented turmoil from within. Frati financially hurt the center, not me.

While on the board, Frati also aided two disgraced employees in a frivolous labor relations suit against the center. Friends of Frati’s, the two were fired by Chris for harassing co-workers, making racially discriminatory statements, sharing with co-workers confidential board communications given to them by Frati, destroying morale and threatening the board. I terminated no one’s employment; I merely supported Chris’s decision. The board settled the case while maintaining its denial of the claims and no admission of liability.

Frati was eventually unseated for her destructive behavior by unanimous action of the board on two separate occasions.

Frati claims that those votes were obtained through bullying. Board members’ emails demonstrate otherwise. Jane Gill voted against Frati, emailing that Frati exhibited “anger, vindictiveness, suspicion,” and was “lacking in concern for the animals” and that “my observation is she is on a mission to make certain that the center fails because she is no longer in charge.”

Ingrid Edelman voted against Frati and emailed, “She has now become vindictive and quite angered.” Missy Hargraves called Frati “delusional” right before seconding a motion to remove her from the board and voting “Aye.” No bullying was necessary.

Chris and two reasonable board members resigned when the board tried to bring Frati back to appease her notwithstanding the never-ending chaos. I then resigned in protest.

No meeting was ever scheduled to remove me.

John Leonard

Hampton Bays

Leonard is the Democratic candidate for Southampton Town Council — Ed.