Breaking News: Stafford Supervisors Remove Monica Gary from Library Board of Trustees
"I chose to take accountability and for that I was removed," Gary posted on Facebook.
By Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
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The Stafford Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted after a closed session to remove Aquia district representative Monica Gary from the Central Rappahannock Regional Library Board of Trustees.
Gary was not present for the vote. All six remaining members supported the motion by Vice Chair Tinesha Allen to remove Gary and replace her with Garrisonville district representative Pamela Yeung. There was no public discussion about the motion.
As of Monday afternoon, the closed session was on the agenda for the purpose of discussing “railway easement agreements and the relocation of County easements.”
When Allen read the resolution to go into closed session late on Monday evening, two new agenda items had been added: “Discussion of the performance of a specific member of the Board, and consultation with legal counsel regarding addressed performance of an appointee of Board, which is a specific legal matter requiring the provision of legal advice by such counsel.”
Gary did not support the resolution to enter closed session.
“I am aware that the discussion regarding a board member is myself,” she said. “I need to make a statement that I have not done or said anything inappropriate in my public comments and I will not be volunteering to be lectured about how I exercised my right to free speech simply because some of my colleagues disagree with what I say.”
Gary continued to say that in her opinion, the Board was “misus[ing]” closed session, “as I have seen it done in the past to others.”
“Unfortunately, I have been part of that previously and I apologize for that,” she said. “I will not be voting for this resolution.”
Gary told the Advance on Tuesday morning that she feels the Board is punishing her for exercising free speech.
“I would love to share my perspective but, at the risk of being penalized for exercising free speech, I’ll have to pass,” she said. “I have thousands of people to serve and I don’t want to lose any more of my ability to do that by upsetting my colleagues.”
Gary posted about her removal on her Board of Supervisors’ Facebook page on Monday evening.
“I chose to take accountability and for that I was removed from the Library Trustee Board this evening,” she wrote.
Read the Advance’s coverage of the Stafford Board of Supervisors’ actions concerning an appointee to the library Board of Trustees here and editorial about the issue here.
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This article doesn't explain the grounds on which Monica was removed. She spoke out against the board's action towards removing her, but not why.
Monica, I hope you are penning a submission
Knowing what I do about Spotsylvania Supervisors, I'm guessing the like- minded Stafford Supervisors are capturing the Library Board to eventually be able to shut down the regional Library system. I'm guessing you were replaced by a friendly white lady also seeking to keep America uneducated, poorly read, purely fed, and well...white.
Please prove me REALLY wrong. I will eat crow all day long.