Employees organize action in response to unexplained firings
Gilroy – The head official at Rebekah Children’s Services has dismissed calls for an independent investigation into the firing of three top administrators and has warned employees that a walkout scheduled for today is a violation of union contract.
The threat of a walkout over the unexplained firings also “raises questions about staff’s concerns for the ones who should be most in our hearts and minds: the children we all serve,” wrote Cora Jones, president of the agency’s board of directors, in a Monday memo to 160-plus employees.
The note obtained by the Dispatch is the latest salvo in a simmering fight between decision-makers at the agency and workers demanding answers after the sudden dismissal last week of Chief Executive Officer David Tollner, Chief Operations Officer Michael McGrath and Chief Administrative Officer Patrick Wiley. The officials are among the five top-paid employees at the agency, which provides intensive services to children who suffer behavioral, emotional or mental problems, and their families.
Jones and Sharif Etman, the chief financial officer who is now serving as interim executive director, have continued to withhold details about the circumstances of the firings while reminding workers of policies that prohibit speaking about the matter with the board of directors or the press.
An anonymous caller informed the Dispatch of the proposed walkout by workers in two departments: Compadres Wraparound Services, which offers in-home care to children and their families, and Therapeutic Behavioral Services, which provides psychological treatment.
“(The departments) are ready to walk out on Tues. Nov. 20 if two demands are not met,” the caller stated. “We want an independent party to investigate the firing of our three leaders and we want the new executive director Sharif Etman to step down. Due to his role in providing information to the board of directors that directly got Mike, David and Patrick fired, there’s a ton of mistrust toward him.”
Etman and Jones, along with numerous other board members, have either refused to comment or did not return phone calls.
In her letter to employees, however, Jones said Etman’s experience as chief financial officer qualifies him to lead agency.
“Given all of the recent scandals in the business and nonprofit worlds alike, we should be grateful for individuals who do the right thing, even knowing the grief it may cause them,” Jones added. “As to your second request, for an independent party to ‘investigate the violations of policy that resulted in the firing of the three executive officers,’ that request is denied. This was a decision of the board, and is not subject to second-guessing by RCS staff or an independent party.”
Jones said all three executives would receive letters explaining why they were terminated.
David Tollner declined to comment Monday, saying he would make a statement through his attorney early next week. Tollner, McGrath and Wiley were among the top-five paid employees of the agency, each earning more than $100,000 annually. Tollner is a former attorney who worked at the agency for half a year, while McGrath and Wiley have worked at Rebekah for more than six years.
The board of directors voted to fire the three administrators Nov. 11, informing employees during two assemblies three days later. Workers were told the board decision was unanimous, said Eleanor Villarreal, the agency’s chief fundraiser and spokeswoman.
She too was surprised by the announcement and said the agency and board will not comment on particulars since it involves personnel matters.
Though workers are now calling in anonymous comments, she said they were quite vocal last week.
“Somebody made a comment about not trusting Sharif,” Villarreal said. “They were fearing for the agency, fearing the agency’s been decapitated. … People were angry because they weren’t told why. None of us were told why.”
The agency’s 11-member board of directors operates on IOOF Avenue next to the children’s agency but is comprised of representatives from across the state, who are elected by the statewide Oddfellows-Rebekah Fraternal Order, which founded the agency as an orphanage in 1896. Board members meet once a month in Gilroy.
Rebekah Children’s Services, a 501(c)(3) organization, serves the behavioral healthcare needs of children and their families, both on-site and in the community. The IOOF Avenue facility is licensed as a foster family agency and a residential group home serving emotionally disturbed children and teens, and provides prevention and education services to 2,000 children in 11 Gilroy schools each year.
