By Beth David, Editor
Fairhaven Health Agent Mary Freire-Kellogg, who has been on medical leave for about a month, was cleared by her doctor to return to work. When she did, she posted a picture of herself on Facebook at her desk, but the perch was short-lived. Within minutes of arriving she was ordered to leave her post and the building by Board of Health member Michael Ristuccia on Tuesday, 8/18/20.
She said the “interim” health agent Sarah Dupont arrived and they introduced themselves. Ms. Dupont left and within 20 minutes Mr. Ristuccia showed up and ordered Ms. Freire-Kellogg to leave.
Ms. Freire-Kellogg said the schedule was according to the original timeline: She had her appointment with her doctor on Monday, 8/17, and he cleared her to work with no restrictions. She sent the doctor’s note to the board via email, and also to Town Administrator Mark Rees and Human Resources Director Anne O’Brien.
Ms. Freire-Kellogg said that Mr Ristuccia told her she had five minutes to leave the building and for some unknown reason, John Cottrell, the wiring inspector, was also present during her conversation with Mr. Ristuccia; and out in the hall, Selectboard member Keith Silvia was also present until she left the building.
She also asked for the HR Director to be present, but Mr. Ristuccia refused her request.
“Isn’t that the normal course of action?” she said in a phone interview.
Ms. Freire-Kellogg said she called the HR Director who told her the Town Administrator advised her to call town counsel Thomas Crotty. But Ms. Freire-Kellogg said she does not have the authority to call Mr. Crotty.
“I said ‘why are you screaming at me?’” said Ms. Freire-Kellogg referring to Mr. Ristuccia, who said he was not yelling at her, and she told him he definitely was yelling at her.
Ms. Freire-Kellogg said she handed a copy of her doctor’s note to Mr. Ristuccia, who acknowledged that he had received it by email.
“I said I would appreciate it if you would read it now. And he said ‘I’ll read it when I want,’” said Ms. Freire-Kellogg. “So I sat on the steps of town hall and wrote a narrative about what happened.”
She said she did not email the doctor’s note to BOH chairperson Peter DeTerra because of a harassment charge she has against him; they are not allowed to have that kind of direct contact, so she asked for it to be forwarded to him. She also put a hard copy in the mail slots of all three board members at town hall. She said she did not have the email of new member Geoffrey Haworth, who was appointed while she was on leave.
In her email note on Monday, Ms. Freire-Kellogg said she told them she would be back at work at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, ready to work and looking foward to working with a full board,
She said she had no idea why she would not be allowed to return as planned.
Mr. Ristuccia told her that Mr. DeTerra was on vacation, so that left Mr. Ristuccia to make the decision.
“He said the board will decide when I come back,” not her, she said.
While on the phone interview with the Neighb News, Ms. Freire-Kellogg said she got a notice to attend an executive session on Monday, 8/24, at 3:30 p.m.
“I thought Peter was on vacation and couldn’t be reached,” she said.
A voicemail message left for Mr. Ristuccia was not answered by press time.
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