Mamaroneck NY Library Director Fights Suspension, Calls It Retaliation

Just when it seemed the Mamaroneck Public Library’s problems were resolved, the library director who steered the institution through the financial turmoil of 2023 was recently suspended and unpaid.

Library Executive Director Jennifer O’Neill is facing disciplinary charges brought by the library board for misconduct and insubordination, said O’Neill’s attorneys Michael J. Del Piano and Joshua Sprague. They argued the suspension was retaliation for O’Neill reporting “egregious misconduct” by a library board member against her.

“The Library Board brought unsubstantiated allegations of misconduct and insubordination against Ms. O’Neill in retaliation for her protected activity in reporting egregious misconduct by a Board member after he engaged in a misogynistic pattern of sexual harassment toward her,” the statement said.

O’Neill’s attorneys say she denies the charges and suspension.

“Ms. O’Neill looks forward to vigorously defending herself against these baseless disciplinary charges and aggressively pursuing her claims against the Board of Trustees and its members for their retaliatory conduct,” they said.

More: Mamaroneck Library says it needs $1.4 million loan to stay open after alleged theft

O’Neill’s suspension comes three months after library manager Mary Soto pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $44,000 from the library between 2016 and 2023. On Wednesday, Westchester District Attorney Mimi Rocah announced Soto had been sentenced to three years of probation for her felony conviction.

Rocah testified that Soto paid $43,940 in restitution for funds stolen from the library’s credit card and through debit transactions.

Interim Director Appointed for Mamaroneck Library

Although O’Neill’s photo was still on the library’s website Friday, the library is now run by interim director Trish Byrne, who is head of the library’s adult services and programs department, said library board chairwoman Ellen Hauptman.

Hauptman declined to provide details about O’Neill’s current status at the library or whether the library board has begun a search for a new director. In a written statement, she said the library board recently voted to “file disciplinary charges against the employee.”

She declined to identify the employee.

She also declined to respond to a statement from O’Neill’s lawyers.

“The library has a policy of not commenting on pending legal proceedings,” Hauptman said.

O’Neill, a former director of the John C. Hart Memorial Library in Yorktown, came to Westchester after overseeing 30 library branches in the Queens Library system in New York City. She was selected to lead the Mamaroneck Public Library in October 2020.

O’Neill’s attorneys said she was a “dedicated and effective library director” in Mamaroneck.

“Her commitment to the community helped the library navigate the challenges of COVID-19, the 2021 Mamaroneck flood, and the turbulent times when a long-time employee was discovered to have stolen funds,” they said.

O’Neill led the library through pandemic and floods

During the COVID pandemic, O’Neill won praise for keeping the library open during months when libraries across the region closed their doors or significantly reduced their hours.

More: Mamaroneck Library Receives $1.4 Million It Needs to Stay Open, Now Comes the Hard Part

The library became a community gathering place and resource after Hurricane Ida flooded the village in September 2021. The Federal Emergency Management Agency set up a temporary office in the library to help homeowners access federal flood assistance.

In 2022, O’Neill’s library was named the best library in Westchester County by Westchester Magazine.

But the library’s centennial celebration in 2023 was cut short in January when library officials discovered Soto’s theft, mistakenly believing the agency had millions in reserves. The library’s treasurer also resigned amid financial troubles.

The library is recovering from financial problems

O’Neill and the library board have appealed to the village to avoid a possible closure in 2023. The village of Mamaroneck loaned the library $1.4 million, which it obtained by selling a tax-secured note on Wall Street.

The library paid off $437,000 in June, and the village took out another one-year promissory note for the remaining $767,000, said acting village manager Chuck Strome. He said the library expects to pay off half of that promissory note in 2025 and the rest the following year.

Hauptman said resolving the library’s financial issues has allowed library leadership to resume several initiatives that were put on hold in 2023. This includes resuming the purchase of books, periodicals, DVDs, e-books and replenishing library passes for museums.

“Our staff has been great and has been a huge part of our ability to get back on track,” Hauptman said. “We’re also very fortunate to have the support of the community.”

The pass program offers free or reduced admission to museums throughout the region, including the Storm King Art Center, the Guggenheim Museum, the Westchester Children’s Museum, the Stepping Stones Museum for Children, the Boscobel, the Hudson River Museum, the Bruce Museum, the Museum of the City of New York, and the Empire Pass, which is good for admission to New York State Parks.

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David McKay Wilson writes about tax issues and government responsibility. Follow him on Twitter @davidmckay415 or write him an email at [email protected].