By Emily Younker
Globe Staff Writer
JOPLIN, Mo. —
Members of the Lafayette House board of directors will meet tonight to discuss the proposed disqualification of Mary Schillaci, a resident of Carl Junction’s Briarbrook neighborhood, from her position on the board.
Schillaci said Wednesday that she could be removed from the board because of “backlash” after her outspoken opposition to the formation of the Briarbrook Community Improvement District.
Dale Harrington, president of the Lafayette House board of directors, confirmed Wednesday that a meeting is set for tonight.
“Unfortunately, there were some issues related to her work or her involvement at Briarbrook that were not helping us accomplish our mission,” Harrington said. “I’m not going to go into those (issues).”
An April 22 letter to Schillaci from the board informing her of the meeting said her possible disqualification stems from the fact that “Lafayette House has received ongoing negative community backlash resulting from your dispute with Briarbrook residents.”
Click here to read the letter from the Lafayette House board of directors to Mary Schillaci.
But later, Harrington said he has no problem with board members taking an active role in their communities.
“We don’t have any or place any limits on anybody’s involvement in their neighborhood,” he said. “Being active in your community and being involved is nothing that the board can or would even want to dictate.”
The Briarbrook Community Improvement District was formed in March after petitions signed by more than half of Briarbrook property owners were approved by the Carl Junction City Council. The district’s board of directors is working to purchase and renovate the Briarbrook golf course through a bond issue and will use special assessments paid by property owners in the district to cover the debt.
Schillaci has been the most vocal opponent of that project, regularly speaking against it at council meetings and public forums. She questioned several aspects of the district, including elements of its budget and the burden that the special assessments would place on some property owners.
Alleged backlash
Schillaci said Lafayette House board members recently told her that a couple who live in Briarbrook said they would discontinue their monthly $100 check to Lafayette House because Schillaci is on the board.
She said she also was told that a group of women from Briarbrook boycotted last year’s Lady Lafayette Golf Tournament, a key Lafayette House fundraiser, because of her seat on the board.
That event was held in June 2009 — two months after a tax proposal to fund the city-backed acquisition of the golf course was rejected by Carl Junction voters. Schillaci had opposed that proposal as well, arguing that it was unfair to tax residents for the benefit of those who use the golf course.
Schillaci said she doesn’t know the names of either the couple or the golfers.
Harrington would not comment Wednesday on those alleged incidents, saying it is “a private matter between the board and (Schillaci).”
Although he would not comment on whether financial support has been withdrawn from Lafayette House because of Schillaci, he said the organization needs its donors and sponsors.
Doing what is best
“We depend on community members and businesses for financial support and volunteer help, and that’s really all I want to say,” Harrington said. “We’ve got to do what we believe is best for Lafayette House.”
Harrington said the board has “valued (Schillaci’s) participation over the years,” but he declined to further discuss her involvement with Lafayette House. He said the board’s goal is to focus on its mission, which is to provide a safe environment for women, children and families seeking help for problems related to domestic violence, addictions or rape. The organization last year served 1,675 people, he said.
“That’s our responsibility as a board — to make sure we’re focused on the mission,” he said. “Sometimes we have to take some actions that are difficult in order to try to stay focused.”
Schillaci said the board asked her earlier this spring to resign her position, but she refused. She said she is upset about possibly being forced off the board for reasons that she contends have nothing to do with her performance at Lafayette House.
“One doesn’t have anything to do with the other,” she said. “I didn’t do anything wrong, anything morally, ethically or legally wrong ... to bring anything bad down on Lafayette House.”
Alison Malinowski, executive director of Lafayette House, declined to comment Wednesday.
“Board action is handled by the board,” she said. “This is a board activity.”
Schillaci said she began volunteering at Lafayette House about eight years ago as an emergency room advocate, providing support to abuse or rape victims at hospitals. She left that position about two years ago, she said.
She said she was offered a position on the board about four and a half years ago by Malinowski and then-board president Deborah Chiodo. She now considers the position to be her duty, she said.
“I take it very seriously,” she said. “It’s one of the things I’m most proud of. ... I’m giving back what they gave to me.”
Irony?
Mary Schillaci said it was partly thanks to her years working with Lafayette House that she felt comfortable speaking out about Briarbrook issues.
“Ironically, because of the education and support I received from them, I’m able to voice my opinion,” she said.
