Orange Township to hold special meeting over administrator

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Orange Township trustees will hold a special meeting at 2 p.m. today to discuss Administrator Gail Messmer’s future with the township.

As The Gazette went to press on Tuesday, none of the trustees returned calls requesting comment on the special meeting. However, the township’s meeting notice stated that the public part of the meeting consists of “discussion and possible action regarding authorization of township legal counsel to proceed with negotiation of agreement regarding the separation from employment of the township administrator and the resolution of all existing claims.”

The notice also states that trustees will first go into executive session — closed to the public — before they meet in “regular session,” which is open to the public.

Last March, Messmer filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against trustees based on her gender, age and disability. Messmer, 55, was hired by the township in 2005.

According to the EEOC charge, Messmer said the trustees are younger than her, and “have followed a consistent practice of taking action intended to force the resignation of employees nearing retirement age.”

“Ms. Messmer has no intention of being forced to do the same,” states a letter to trustees from David T. Ball of the law firm of Rosenberg & Ball Co., LPA, dated March 5.

The EEOC charge states that retaliation has taken place in the form of transferring some of Messmer’s key job responsibilities to younger employees; interfering with her job performance; and reassigning staff that had reported to her.

Messmer also alleges that a trustee defamed her during an open session; and that she has received smaller pay raises than younger employees.

The letter to trustees asked them to take a number of actions, including “return staff members to Ms. Messmer’s direct report/chain of command,” and “refrain from usurping Ms. Messmer’s authority and responsibility.”

In a Gazette article written following the letter’s publication, Trustees Robert Quigley, Debbie Taranto and Lisa Knapp denied the charges. They also voted not to request remediation in the case.

Today’s meeting will be in the township hall, 1680 East Orange Road, Lewis Center.

Messmer
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2015/12/web1_rsz_gailpic.jpgMessmer

By Gary Budzak

[email protected]

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