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A friend of Council on Aging director Rita Kalcos tried repeatedly at the board's meeting today to get some answers as to why Kalcos has been placed on paid administrative leave, but ran into the roadblock that the situation is “a personnel matter” that cannot be discussed in public.
Richard Browne, a Dedham resident and former 30-year member of the Council on Aging board, started off the meeting by stating that Kalcos “has been suspended and is not working at this time.”
Chairperson Leanne Jasset responded that the director is on administrative leave due to a personnel matter.
“Being that it is a personnel matter, the information that the rest of us have ends right there,” Jasset said, sitting at a table with four other members of her board.
“She’s on paid administrative leave. That’s where it ends,” Jasset added soon thereafter.
“Until what time?” Browne asked.
“No more information than that, sir,” Jasset said. “Any questions, certainly, our town administrator would be more than happy to answer.”
William Keegan handles such personnel issues. And at 3:45 p.m., five minutes into the meeting, he walked into the building, prompting Jasset to say, “Oh, look at this. How perfect is this. You must have read our minds, Mr. Keegan. Welcome to our meeting.”
Keegan joined the board at its table – but he did not provide Browne many answers in regards to Kalcos.
Browne, referring to “a cloak of secrecy” and “gag orders,” said, “I just think that the taxpayers have a right to know what the situation is as far as this matter with Rita Kalcos, and where’s it headed.”
“This is a personnel matter, Richard, and it’s not one that gets discussed publicly,” Keegan responded. “It’s an administrative matter. It’s one that I am responsible for, not the council. And as such, it’s not something I can comment further on.”
When Browne implied that Keegan directed “that a cloak of secrecy and a gag order be extended regarding this matter,” Keegan replied, “I wouldn’t describe it as a cloak of secrecy and a gag order. It’s actually a matter of law. It’s a matter of law that we won’t discuss these things.”
Keegan did say that he put Kalcos on paid administrative leave on Dec. 15. Why he did so remains undisclosed.
“Again, purely out of respect for the situation and the parties involved here, that’s the reason why we don’t discuss it. That’s standard human resource practice … it was handled appropriately from an administrative end, and that’s where I’m going to leave it,” Keegan concluded.
A friend of Council on Aging director Rita Kalcos tried repeatedly at the board's meeting today to get some answers as to why Kalcos has been placed on paid administrative leave, but ran into the roadblock that the situation is “a personnel matter” that cannot be discussed in public.
Richard Browne, a Dedham resident and former 30-year member of the Council on Aging board, started off the meeting by stating that Kalcos “has been suspended and is not working at this time.”
Chairperson Leanne Jasset responded that the director is on administrative leave due to a personnel matter.
“Being that it is a personnel matter, the information that the rest of us have ends right there,” Jasset said, sitting at a table with four other members of her board.
“She’s on paid administrative leave. That’s where it ends,” Jasset added soon thereafter.
“Until what time?” Browne asked.
“No more information than that, sir,” Jasset said. “Any questions, certainly, our town administrator would be more than happy to answer.”
William Keegan handles such personnel issues. And at 3:45 p.m., five minutes into the meeting, he walked into the building, prompting Jasset to say, “Oh, look at this. How perfect is this. You must have read our minds, Mr. Keegan. Welcome to our meeting.”
Keegan joined the board at its table – but he did not provide Browne many answers in regards to Kalcos.
Browne, referring to “a cloak of secrecy” and “gag orders,” said, “I just think that the taxpayers have a right to know what the situation is as far as this matter with Rita Kalcos, and where’s it headed.”
“This is a personnel matter, Richard, and it’s not one that gets discussed publicly,” Keegan responded. “It’s an administrative matter. It’s one that I am responsible for, not the council. And as such, it’s not something I can comment further on.”
When Browne implied that Keegan directed “that a cloak of secrecy and a gag order be extended regarding this matter,” Keegan replied, “I wouldn’t describe it as a cloak of secrecy and a gag order. It’s actually a matter of law. It’s a matter of law that we won’t discuss these things.”
Keegan did say that he put Kalcos on paid administrative leave on Dec. 15. Why he did so remains undisclosed.
“Again, purely out of respect for the situation and the parties involved here, that’s the reason why we don’t discuss it. That’s standard human resource practice … it was handled appropriately from an administrative end, and that’s where I’m going to leave it,” Keegan concluded.
Browne said he was at today’s meeting because “I’m very concerned for her, for her reputation, for the fact that if this comes to fruition, and from what I’m hearing, she is dismissed, that she may not be able to get a job elsewhere.”
Browne recalled being on the board when Keegan recommended hiring Kalcos, who came on the job in 2003.
“Actually I was against it at the time, if you recall,” Browne said. “But Rita has proven to be a person that has done so much for the senior community in the town of Dedham. And her desk was the last stop for many, many people who needed help, counsel and direction, and they got it here.”
A closed hearing for Kalcos was held at Town Hall on Jan. 8.
“I would love to tell you what’s been going on, but I can’t,” Kalcos said the day before the hearing. She did not return a call for comment after it.
Dedham Transcript staff writer Edward B. Colby can be reached at 781-433-8336 or ecolby@cnc.com.
