La Pine Park & Rec Board hears grievance by dismissed staffer, may add 2 board members
LA PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- There were lots of hot topics on the agenda at Tuesday night’s La Pine Park & Recreations District Board meeting.
The board discussed adding two additional board members, and also addressed a grievance letter. But before we get to that, something explosive happened during the meeting.
Terri Myers was the Board Clerk and Grant Writer for the La Pine Park & Recreation District, who was let go in October of 2024, when the entire board resigned in September and October, amid months of tensions between the board and parents and claims of threats and harassment as well as financial concerns.
Myers confronted the board.
“I'm here tonight because I'm talking about the way I was dismissed by the board on December 5th.”
Terri asked why she wasn’t brought back once a new board was appointed.
Community member, Daniel Jones, submitted a grievance letter to the newly appointed board. Among his issues was the mishandling of Myers.
“Terri Myers just addressed some of this. I feel that after 14 years of her being here, she deserved more respect than to be lied to in the public meeting and told that she was just simply being taken off a secretary and not confirmed that she was being let go.”
Myers also accused the board of age discrimination when she applied for an open position within the district and was asked how old she was during the interview process, and where did she see herself in 10 years. Myers is over 70 years old.
Board member Joel Brader says Myers mis-read their intentions.
“We interviewed lots of good candidates and we picked the best candidate to our ability and it just didn't work for her. And there shouldn't have been any hard feelings over it. She's a great lady. She had great qualifications. We just felt that someone else was more qualified at the time.”
Brader also talked about the possibility of adding two new board members to their existing five.
“Just so we have a better poll of the community by having seven members and if we have absentees, we have a better way to fill those in.”
The La Pine Park & Recreation District board members say they are holding an open house, Saturday, January 11th, between 1-4PM, at the LA Pine Community Center.
This is a perfect opportunity for the community to come out and meet the new board members and give their community input.
