The CHCA Board and the Local... Observations by Ann Spaeth

CHCA Bylaws Regarding the Chestnut Hill Local
and Comments on the Process

ARTICLE I. C. 3. Education “The Association conducts informative and educational activities, including public meetings and publication of a weekly newspaper to inform the community about religious, educational, environmental, social, and political concerns and other issues that affect the community.”
ARTICLE I. C. 3. a. “Publication of the Chestnut Hill Local is an integral function of the Association. The Local acts as a forum for community discourse……”

THE ROLE OF THE EDITOR
ARTICLE I. C. 3. b. Editor of the Chestnut Hill Local.
The Editor, employed by the Association, is responsible for the editorial content of the Local and acts in accordance with accepted standards of professional journalism and the professional judgment of the Editor. The Editor reports to the Association, the Publisher of the Local.”
ARTICLE I. C. 3. “Any form of prior censorship expressed or implied is prohibited. Any person may suggest to the Editor subjects to be covered but the Editor has the sole authority to decide what is ultimately published.”

COMMENTS
Does this mean that because a “suggestion” promotes rather than censors content, that if suggestions or requests made by Officers, or by members of the Executive Committee at an annual job performance review or anytime in the interim between reviews, are not published as suggested, or otherwise acted upon by the Editor, that in their opinion, he can be summarily fired by that body for not following their private directives or suggestions?

In June of last year Mr. Mazzacaro was given what was called his annual review by the Executive Committee. No mention was made in the Local of the Executive Session to be held for this purpose. The multipage questionnaire was new and had never been approved by the Board. No report of the Committee’s recommendations or evaluation was given to the Board at its June meeting.

ARTICLE VI. B. 1. a. “The Executive Committee …..reviews the job performance of the Association’s employees at least once each year; and reports its actions and recommendations to the Board at the next meeting of the Board.”

Comments
In December, without prior notice in the Local as is required, the Executive Committee again went into Executive Session to review the Editor’s performance. This time, also, they gave no report to the Board of their recommendations to the Editor.

In the CHCA agenda printed in the Chestnut Hill Local of January 15 there was no mention of an Executive Session to be held at the Board Meeting on January 22.

In the January 22 issue of the Local, the CHCA Agenda listed an Executive Session “to update personnel matters,” but on the same day the Local came out, January 21, Mr. Mazzacaro received an e-mail from the President, Tolis Vardakis, requiring him to be present at the Board Meeting for a review of his job performance the next day. Copies also went to the Board. What Board Members present at this Executive Session were faced with was a motion to fire the Editor.

Ann Ward Spaeth