FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JOHN HOPE SETTLEMENT HOUSE STRONGLY DEFENDS
UNSUBSTANTIATED ACCUSATIONS
MY RESPONSES TO THIS LETTER ARE BELOW IN RED WITH ACCOMPANYING
DOCUMENTS.
Thank you,
Taino Palermo
Recent events at the John Hope Settlement House (JHSH) instigated by former Executive
Director Taino Palermo together with a group who call themselves “Concerned Citizens for John
Hope Settlement House” continue to point the finger of blame at the current Board of JHSH.
I have nothing to do with the concerned citizens group. I have said what I had to say with regards
to this situation. I have moved on from this situation and do not plan on returning to John Hope
even if she were removed – she has soiled that organization and it can never recover. The
community it has always served is getting jerked around and has been for years, I think they’re
fed up and want their center back but she has taken it beyond repair.
I’ve been in this city and state less than 6 months, if I can rally this group and get press coverage,
that must make me pretty influential for being a new guy right? I think she’s reached a tipping
point with enemies she’s made and it took me, being from the outside and not associated with
anyone (and therefore I have no fear of her or what she thinks she can do), to shine light on how
she’s been screwing over the very people/community she acts like she serves – I think with me,
she may have gone too far and they’re upset and they have every right to be. But for them to
come from me is ridiculous, I just got here.
I can’t be controlled and therefore I’m a threat. The community response is no longer afraid and
so they’re a threat. I have dedicated my life to helping people so when I come across people with
questionable intentions, I will let it be known and remove myself from the situation – that’s what
I did at John Hope. Everything resulting from it has been a distraction away from the real
issues…including this desperate letter.
Their five point plan requires a response. However, it is important to recognize that the Board of
Directors does not wish to engage in a public debate with this group nor its prior Executive
Director, who voluntarily resigned from his position on August 25, 2014 after he was met with a
number of Code of Ethics and Conduct Policy violations that included:
I emailed my letter of resignation on Monday, August 25th
effective Friday, September 26th
(I
believe you have a copy Kate) as seen in the email on page 6. It was voted to be made
immediate on Thursday, August 28th
after a botched attempt to make it effective the next day
(August 26th
) by Williams without realizing her own bylaws require 48-hour notice to the board
before such a vote can be had.
1. Changing banking codes without Board knowledge or approval;
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JOHN HOPE SETTLEMENT HOUSE STRONGLY DEFENDS
UNSUBSTANTIATED ACCUSATIONS
Bank codes were changed because I was added to the account. Williams was given
the codes as well as the auditors from Balancing Act who actively accessed the
account in order to manage JH’s books. She was made aware of the need to re-secure
the account given that Peter Lee still had a John Hope credit card in his name that
hadn’t been cancelled and a random transaction done by Nina Pande into the JH
account…all reasons the account security needed to be updated. This was also
explained to the RI State Police who are investigating financial misconduct by
Williams.
2. Committing JHSH to financial obligations in excess of his authority;
Aside from bills which are financial obligations regardless of authority, the only
financial obligation was leasing a vacant property at 11 Higgins Avenue for a day that
BROUGHT IN $1,000 for a movie. The date of the shoot took place after I left but
was signed before hand because I wasn’t able to live out the terms of my resignation.
3. Hiring personnel without Board knowledge and approval;
In my time there I had 3 staff – all of which were made aware of to the board. JH was
in danger of losing its daycare license because it had no Lead Teacher, Daycare
Director, and Youth Director…I hired all 3. It was public knowledge from an article
in 2013 – I’m pretty sure the board was aware of the need to hire those positions and
that’s all my contract states…they were to be made aware, not decide who and for
how much. NO FUNCTIONING BOARD HIRES STAFF- THAT’S THE ED’S
JOB…PUTTING THIS IN THE LETTER ONLY PROVES THE LACK OF
KNOWLEDGE OF BOARD MEMBERS!!!
4. Hiring JHSH personnel who were not properly vetted by DCYF through CPS, BCI,
and fingerprints; (These clearances are vital to ensure the safety of children and
families who utilized the programs)
The only staff hired by me, as stated in #3, were all director level staff and hired
while under the consultation of Dr. Daycare who was responsible for all clearances.
The only staff who had an issue was the Youth Director who needed new fingerprints
having just come from the YMCA and fingerprints are site-specific, but had a clear
BCI. The other two staff were clear – this is a bogus claim.
5. Increasing salaries and benefits without Board knowledge or approval;
That was actually restoring one person’s hourly rate and hours after it was arbitrarily
reduced by THE BOARD PRESIDENT WILLIAMS – AGAIN, WHY IS A BOARD
MEMBER ADJUSTING MY STAFF’S SALARY AND HOURS?? In regards to
benefits, it troubles me this is from the “board” who doesn’t even know JH doesn’t
offer benefits.
6. Had JHSH documents shredded without Board knowledge or approval;
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JOHN HOPE SETTLEMENT HOUSE STRONGLY DEFENDS
UNSUBSTANTIATED ACCUSATIONS
What documents would that be and why would I need board approval as long as I’m
in compliance with state and federal file retention requirements? A STATEMENT
FROM AN INEXPERIENCED BOARD.
7. Failing to have the Agency’s vehicles re-registered and inspected by June 30, 2014;
Seems like someone is trying to pass the buck after getting in trouble for the vans not
being in compliance. See attached ED Report from 8/22/2014 (pg 7-9) and email
with her stalling me from fixing them (and everything else – pg 10-11) before the
school year started – they were out of inspection since before I started working there
and they weren’t used for field trips in the summer, we rented yellow buses. It needed
to get done before the school year started but it was the week before all this
happened.
8. Contracting with an unlicensed company who employed personnel for a summer
camp and afterschool program, who were not properly vetted by DCYF through CPS,
BCI, and fingerprints, which forced DCYF to shut the program down;
Summer camp with this group was in place before I even started – contract was in
place by Michael Shepard, the office manager who was given the right to rent the
facility by the Board before I started. I never contracted anything regarding after
school and there is no documentation to prove otherwise.
9. Refused the Board’s initiative to work with a four member panel to assist in
facilitating effective communications between himself and the Board;
This wasn’t between myself and the Board, it was a four-person committee to
facilitate communications between myself and Williams - AFTER SHE
THREATENED THREE OF MY STAFF. AM I THE ONLY PERSON WHO
FINDS THIS EVEN BEING PUBLICLY DISCUSSED, ODD?? I FEEL LIKE I’M
IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE. IS THIS HOW THINGS ARE DONE IN RHODE
ISLAND? No one sees a problem with (or better yet, why there would be a need for)
a 4-person committee for two people to talk?
WHY ARE WE NOT TALKING ABOUT:
A BOARD PRESIDENT WHO IS ON DISABILITY LEAVE FROM HER
CITY JOB IS AT JOHN HOPE 5 DAYS/WEEK, DRIVING THE VANS TO
PICK UP KIDS (DCYF KNOWS THIS) AND SHE’S STILL THERE??!!!
AND HAS HER JOB?!!!!
SHE HAS OPENLY VIOLATED THE BOARD OF ETHICS POLICY AND
BYLAWS AS STATED IN MY LETTER OF RESIGNATION
THERE ARE TIMESHEETS PAYING JOHN HOPE STAFF AND USING
JOHN RESOURCES FOR HER POLITICAL BENEFIT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JOHN HOPE SETTLEMENT HOUSE STRONGLY DEFENDS
UNSUBSTANTIATED ACCUSATIONS
TOTALLY BAFFLED…
This conduct was deemed, by the Board, to be detrimental to the best interest of JHSH.
As it relates to the plan proposed by the Concerned Citizens to remove the Board Chair and the
existing Board Members, these volunteer Board Members who have a long and storied
commitment to the mission of JHSH, and who have done nothing that would otherwise warrant
removal from the Board, have no intention of removing themselves merely because some
individuals have decided to level unfounded and specious allegations against the Board. It
would be unconscionable for the Board to walk away from their fiduciary responsibilities to
JHSH and its surrounding community at this critical point in time.
With respect to the invalidation of Frank Corbishley to any leadership role or authority of JHSH,
Mr. Corbishley offered his services on a voluntary basis during this interim period and he is not
being paid, contrary to the rumors and character assassination he has been subjected to. Mr.
Corbishley has a wealth of experience in the non-profit community spanning over 30 years and
has served in high level positions in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere. He is a man of
commitment, honesty, and integrity and those who have interfaced with him know of his
continued commitment to helping the poor, elderly, and families within the community.
As it relates to the rehiring of the former Executive Director, The Board has no intention of
doing that. Mr. Palermo violated many of JHSH’s rules, regulations, policies, and procedures as
well as his Employment Contract that spelled out in part his duties and responsibilities. Prior to
the Executive Director’s voluntary resignation, the Board offered and established as an interim
step, a four member panel to work with the Executive Director to improve communications with
the Board. This offer was summarily rejected by the Executive Director before he voluntarily
quit.
The Board is committed to fulfilling its mission in an appropriate, responsible and transparent manner. It is devoted to those that the JHSH serves while treating them and all employees with
the upmost professionalism in an environment enveloped with respect and dignity.
We welcome any and all who are interested in helping with the growth of JHSH and anyone who
is interested in applying for the Executive Director Position may submit inquiries to:
[email protected]. Thank you!
WHO IS ON THE BOARD??
According to the RI Secretary of State’s site, of the listed members there are only 12 members
left on the board. The remaining members are listed below. THIS IS ISN’T EVEN A LEGAL
BOARD!!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JOHN HOPE SETTLEMENT HOUSE STRONGLY DEFENDS
UNSUBSTANTIATED ACCUSATIONS
ANASTASIA WILLIAMS
WALTER MORGAN
SANDRA BARONE
ELLEN MARK
JAMETTA ALSTON (I NEVER SAW THIS PERSON AT A MEETING)
SUSAN LEONARDI
ROXANN JOHNSON-NANCE
JOAN BADWAY
INESSE JONES
JUDITH A. COVINGTON (I NEVER SAW THIS PERSON AT A MEETING)
CLOTIDE J. TAYLOR (I NEVER SAW THIS PERSON AT A MEETING)
WIL FLEMING (I NEVER SAW THIS PERSON AT A MEETING)
Executive Director Weekly Report Week ending: 8/22/14
1. IMPORTANT: MUST HAVE BOARD PHONE CALL TO ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING –
Agreement with ALSD re: starting JH's FY2014 audit
Hiring of Michael's replacement – I want to hire Dena Pruett to work 9-4pm at
$13/hr
Settle on office rental rates
2nd Floor bathroom repair (awaiting bids from Sue Leonardi’s contact list)
Installation of ProCare hardware for early learning center
2. JH will be getting an intern from the Office of Minority Health, Rhode Island College and the
Community Health Workers Association of Rhode Island. This person will work 5hrs/day, 3 days a
week for 6 weeks and be responsible for promoting and/or recruiting for events/programs like
Check up from the Neck Up, affordable health care, ESL classes and our food pantry.
3. There is a grant opportunity through the RI Foundation’s Black Philanthropy Initiative to fund the
following (if not all) programs that Kenya Fullen (formerly of Urban League) is willing to co-write
with me and bring from the Urban League to JH: o HS Alternative “Bridge” Program for students on the verge of the getting kicked out of the
PPSD. This used to be housed at Urban League in conjunction with the PPSD but is no
longer in existence and no such program exists.
o Fatherhood Program which is a comprehensive case management service and
professional development for young/new fathers – no such program exists.
o Family Home Visits is a comprehensive case management service for parenting
and childcare intervention
o Homeless Teen Shelter for homeless teens which is a huge need in the city and
the only shelter in existence closed down. Kenya believes says she can get
support from RI Housing, DCYF and DHS and is setting up a meeting with them
next week. Michael ran the bridge program and fatherhood programs at Urban
League and would be willing to return to run them. It also may be an option for
the use of 11 Higgins Ave.
o JH After Hours is a membership program I want to fold into the above programs
to serve as a “wrap around” option for the public during the hours of 6pm to
Midnight for drop-in use of our computer lab, small gym (for fitness activities
and/or workshops) and the large gym for (open gym/leagues for adults and
teens)
Collectively, all these programs service the entire needs of individuals other than having a place for them to sleep at night. The grant will be written in a way that can be funded as one large project or individual projects.
4. I met with the Southside Land Trust and they want to discuss partnering with JH to
create a community lot for the West End where the playground is and the surrounding
land on our property. They would like to join a board meeting to discuss the feasibility of
it in late fall.
5. Monthly bills are (or will be) paid – checks are written and need to be signed if they
haven’t been already. When Sue returns, she’ll enter them into Quickbooks. Sue is out
this week on vacation but returns next week. She was given a list of accounts in order to
categorize JH’s finances more clearly in Quickbooks.
The accounts are as follows:
Operations
o Includes: administrative costs, maintenance costs, and transportation costs
of vans
Early Learning Center (daycare – we’re moving away from calling it that)
Youth Development
Adult Education
Social Services
o Includes: healthcare navigator and any future social services we will offer
Facility Rentals
o Includes: short term & long term rentals as well as office space rentals
6. Michael’s last day is today. With everything going on, there was little time for a
thorough interview for his replacement. I sent the resumes of the top two candidates I
like. I liked Dena more than Angelee – more experienced and can do
communications/media stuff.
7. Attached is the flyer for the RWU ESL classes. Please review and reply with any revisions
directly to Ariel Wilburn at [email protected]. She assured me the JH logo will be
added.
8. I met with Paula, our insurance broker. She provided me with a binder of all of JH’s
insurance policies and explained each of them to me.
9. I called Joe McCarthy about another temporary alarm company since Mt. Pleasant
Alarm hasn’t gotten back to me with an estimate. He recommended Easter Alarm Co.
and I left a message for them. No alarm has been put on 11 Higgins St. He called me
today to tell me that the rest of the copper was stolen and our insurance broker, Paula,
believes if we get a plumber to assess the cost to replace the piping vs. the plan’s
deductible, then it may not even be worth filing a claim.
10. A cook will need to be hired. The Food Bank has not gotten back to Michael about
whether or not they’re able to accommodate our feeding needs since we were too late
to sign up (waiting for JWU). Follow-up will be done on Monday and if not eligible, a
cook will be interviewed and hired from a list of resumes we have from the beginning of
the summer. There is enough food to last through next week until a cook is hired or
Food Bank allows us to participate in the school-year program.
11. Summer camp ended today with a small cookout. Monday and Tuesday the staff are
coming in to plan and prepare for the school year programs which begin Wednesday.
12. The vans will be taken in Monday and Tuesday to get serviced and re-inspected.
13. The fire company will install the heat detector and pull station in the daycare storage
room next week which is the last thing to be in compliance and restore the daycare
license to full approval and take it off the probationary license status.
14. Monday, RWU students come to paint the daycare hallway and a mural. There was
enough white paint in storage so all that was purchased for the day were rollers, paint
trays, and paint tape. The cost was under $150.00.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
8/25: RWU’s Community Connections – 30 students come to pain the daycare hallway
and create a mural
8/26: Back 2 School Cookout for JH families only (they are incentivized to bring a referral
for a $50 gift card)
9/4 & 9/6: RWU ESL Class orientation
9/15: First of the 10-week long RWU ESL class
9/25: Check up From the Neck Up (flyer attached)