BY NICHOLAS BROWN
At least two of Hooksett’s four fired town employees were axed for alleged insubordination, impropriety and dishonesty related to discussing an unfounded rumor that the town’s top staffer, David Jodoin, was having an adulterous affair with another town employee.
Nobody, including the four fired employees and at least six other town hall workers and witnesses, said there’s truth to the rumor, and an attorney called to investigate the matter stressed that Jodoin has been “extremely upset” about the unfounded gossip, to the point that he’s had physical symptoms.
Jessica Skorupski, a former building department assistant, and Joanne Drewniak, a former assistant in the assessing department, appealed their firings at a public meeting at the Hooksett Public Library on Tuesday, May 15.
Drewniak was also accused of referring to Jodoin, the town administrator, as a “little f___r” and of using the expletive in front of a Hooksett resident at town hall.
Drewniak’s attorney, B.J. Branch, said Drewniak freely admits to using the term in front of two other fired workers once, behind closed doors, during a break, but said she was immediately reprimanded and hasn’t uttered the phrase again.
Branch, who’s representing each of the “fired four,” read excerpts from years of performance evaluations of Drewniak and Skorupski characterizing them as model employees with no previous blemishes on their records.
And now, he said, “They’re executed. In essence, their careers are ended.”
Branch said his clients were the victims of a “smear” job and said Jodoin, whom the council hired in 2005, used the charges as “pretense” so he could “clean house.”
The town council hired attorney Lauren Irwin to research the facts since Jodoin – who would normally research such matters – was the complainant after another town employee told him of the town hall rumor.
Irwin spent much of March 29 interviewing town employees, and said the actions of some employees warranted some form of discipline, but she didn’t make any specific recommendations.
Branch maintains Drewniak and Skorupski merely discussed a rumor – generated by a resident, not a town hall employee – that “something” might be “going on” between Jodoin and another employee, whom he said was recently given a new part-time job with a new salary.
He defied the council to prove that Drewniak and Skorupski specifically discussed a rumor related to a romantic affair.
“How silly is this stuff?”
Branch asked at one point. “This is like high school stuff – junior high, realistically.”
But Irwin said, based on her interviews, “I don’t think there’s any confusion about what they meant by ‘something.’”
“This wasn’t a ‘Can you believe the tie he wore’ or ‘He must dye his hair,’” she said.
Irwin, who said she was impressed at how consistent the facts were between her numerous independent interviews of town hall employees – including Drewniak and Skorupski – also said Jodoin described a “toxic” work environment at town hall.
But Branch repeatedly placed blame on Jodoin – who wasn’t at the appeal hearing – for the town hall work environment.
He alleged testimony from at least one other town worker that Jodoin called Drewniak and her husband “difficult” and “losers,” and said Jodoin said once, “I do not believe women belong in code enforcement.”
“These people were hounded by Mr. Jodoin,” Branch said.
Later, Branch said, “Why these people? Because, quite frankly, (Jodoin) wanted them to go.”
Immediately after the hearing, Town Councilor David Ross said he was “disgusted” by some of Branch’s comments.
“I wouldn’t let him defend a parking ticket,” Ross said. “His behavior was deplorable.”
Debra Ford, an attorney who ran the hearing on behalf of the Town Council, said she was disconcerted that Branch’s clients didn’t seem to exhibit remorse for gossiping about unfounded and potentially harmful rumors.
“There appears to be no apology or no acceptance of responsibility,” she said.
Ford said the council – members of which remained silent during the hearing except to open and close the hearing and to recite the Pledge of Allegiance – will rule on the appeals by May 25.
Two other fired employees – former assessing department director Sandy Piper and former building department head Michelle Bonsteel – were offered their jobs back by the council, but that offer was rescinded, Piper has said. Piper, a 27-year town employee, said she plans to fight her firing in court.