Library trustees fire director after 13 years
By Caitlyn Kelleher

Marja LePoer, who was fired as the director of the Ashby Free Public Library in July, has filed a grievance against the library trustees.

LePoer's husband, who spoke on her behalf at a selectmen's meeting on Aug. 9, calls her firing a "political vendetta," while trustees cite her "failure to improve her performance."

"The paper trail was illegal," Gardner LePoer, told selectmen as he spoke for his wife. "I hope you will look at the paper trial we will give you."

Trustees voted to fire Marja LePoer on July 12. She was not under contract with the town for any of her 13 years.

The trustees cited issues with the organization and neatness of the interior, problems communicating with them and with patrons, timeliness and completeness of reports and problems developing and executing plans for day to day and long-term library operation, in a written response.

"Ms. LePoer failed to improve her performance, failed to recognize the trustee's supervisory authority and refused to acknowledge our legitimate concerns with her performance," they wrote.

Gardner LePoer said the trustees would remove books from the shelves and scream at the director in the library. He said that they appointed someone to supervise her even though this was beyond their job.

"This has not been a legitimate firing this has been a political vendetta," he said.

Selectmen stuck by their rules as they laid out at the beginning of the Aug. 9 meeting and did not express an opinion, make a suggestion on an outcome or otherwise engage in a discussion with LePoers.

Selectmen Chairman Peter McMurray said the fact that there was a pending grievance against the trustees meant they could not speak about the issue.

"We decided to grant you the time (to speak)," McMurray said. "You will not get a response from the board."

Gardner LePoer said he simply wanted to frame the issue of how his wife was fired, not respond to specific accusations.

Town Administrator Linda Sanders responded once after Gardner LePoer said the actions of the town's labor counsel was a "public flogging" and blamed that on Sanders.

"I did not direct the labor counsel," Gardner LePoer said.

Murray also forbid the use of people's names.

The hearing with the library board of trustees may be held in executive session depending on the requests of those members. The selectmen did agree to hold this hearing as quickly as possible.

Gardner LePoer said they have not yet made any move to make this go into litigation but they have spoken to the Attorney General's Office.

They wanted to prevent the firing, establish a contract of Marja LePoer and then require the trustees to fire with in the parameters of the contract.

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Caitlyn Kelleher can be reached at (978) 827-3386, ext. 15, or e-mail: caitlynkelleher@ aol.com