Just when it appeared that the Mamaroneck Public Library’s problems were resolved, the library director who guided the institution through the financial turmoil of 2023 was recently suspended without pay.
The library’s executive director, Jennifer O’Neill, faces disciplinary charges filed by the library board for misconduct and insubordination, said O’Neill’s attorneys, Michael J. Del Piano and Joshua Sprague. They maintained that the suspension was in retaliation for O’Neill’s reporting of “serious misconduct” by a member of the the library’s Board of Trustees against her.
“The Library Board brought unsubstantiated allegations of misconduct and insubordination against Ms. O’Neill in retaliation for her protected activity in reporting serious misconduct by a Board member after he engaged in a misogynistic pattern of sexual harassment against her,” they said in a statement.
O’Neill’s lawyers say she is fighting the charges and suspension.
“EM. O’Neill expects to vigorously defend himself against these unfounded disciplinary charges and aggressively pursue his claims against the Board of Directors and its members for their retaliatory conduct,” they said.
More: Mamaroneck Library says it needs $1.4 million loan to stay open after alleged theft
O’Neill’s suspension came three months after the library’s business manager, Mary Soto, pleaded guilty to theft for stealing about $44,000 from the library between 2016 and 2023. On Wednesday, the Westchester District Attorney , Mimi Rocah, announced that Soto was sentenced to three years. probation for his conviction on the felony charge.
Rocah said Soto paid restitution of $43,940 for funds he stole from a library credit card and through debit transactions.
Interim Director Appointed for Mamaroneck Library
Although O’Neill’s photo on Friday still appeared on the library’s website, the library is now run by interim director Trish Byrne, the library’s head of adult services and programming, said library board president Ellen Hauptman.
Hauptman declined to provide any details about O’Neill’s current status at the library or whether the library board had begun a search for a new director. In a written statement, she said the library board recently voted to “issue disciplinary charges against an employee.”
She declined to identify the employee.
She also declined to respond to a statement from O’Neill’s lawyers.
“It is the Library’s policy not to comment on pending litigation,” Hauptman said.
O’Neill, the former library director of the John C. Hart Memorial Library in Yorktown, came to Westchester after overseeing 30 branch libraries of the Queens Library system in New York City. She was chosen to manage the Mamaroneck Public Library in October 2020.
O’Neill’s lawyers said she was “a dedicated and effective library director” in Mamaroneck.
“His commitment to the community has carried the library through the hardships of COVID, the 2021 Mamaroneck flood, and a tumultuous time when a longtime employee was discovered to have stolen funds,” they said.
O’Neill led library through pandemic and floods
During the COVID pandemic, O’Neill won praise for keeping the library open during months when area libraries closed their doors or significantly reduced hours.
More: The Mamaroneck Library received the $1.4 million it needed to stay open. Now comes the hard part
The library became a community resource and gathering place following Hurricane Ida, which flooded the village in September 2021. The Federal Emergency Management Agency created a temporary office at the library to help property owners obtain federal flood assistance. .
In 2022, the library was named the best library in Westchester County by Westchester Magazine under O’Neill’s leadership.
The library’s 2023 centennial celebration, however, was cut short in January after library staff discovered Soto’s theft, mistakenly believing the agency had millions in reserves. The library treasurer also resigned due to financial problems.
Library recovering from financial problems
O’Neill and the library board appealed to the village to avoid a possible closure in 2023. The village of Mamaroneck loaned the library $1.4 million, which it obtained by selling a tax anticipation note on Wall Street.
The library returned $437,000 in June, and the village took out another one-year note for the remaining $767,000, said Interim Village Manager Chuck Strome. He said the library plans to pay half of that bill in 2025, and the remainder will be paid the following year.
Hauptman said the resolution of the library’s finances has allowed library leadership to resume several initiatives that were suspended in 2023. This includes resuming the purchase of books, periodicals, DVDs, e-books and replacing the library’s museum passes.
“Our team is excellent and has contributed greatly to getting us back on track,” said Hauptman. “We are also very lucky to have the support of the community.”
The pass program offers free or discounted admission to museums throughout the region, including Storm King Art Center, Guggenheim Museum, Westchester Children’s Museum, Stepping Stones Museum for Children, Boscobel, Hudson River Museum, Bruce Museum, City Museum of New York, and the Empire Pass for entry to New York state parks.
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David McKay Wilson writes about tax issues and government responsibility. Follow him on Twitter @davidmckay415 or send him an email at dwilson3@lohud.com.
This article originally appeared in the Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Mamaroneck NY Library Director Fights Suspension, Calls It Retaliation
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