It was a divisive and uproarious afternoon last Friday at the Cody Senior Center.
Senior Center board member Gib Lehman led a meeting to discuss the recent accusations of verbal harassment and possible misappropriation of funds that have ignited a firestorm of controversy.
The thrust of the conflict is between the staff and the board. Staff members have named President Terry Hinkle and Vice President Loretta Reavis as the main culprits, saying they have been subjected to repeated bullying and verbal abuse – and they have documentation to back it up. Hinkle says this is all retaliatory, after he requested receipts from the past three years for an in-house audit.
The packed dining room was evenly split between staff and the board, with people avidly supporting their respective sides.Director Bonnie Emmett laid out her perspective at the meeting, arguing that an independent agency needs to conduct the audit and passionately arguing she has done nothing unethical. President Terry Hinkle also took the stage to argue this entire debacle is unfounded and will only lead to more troubles for the center in terns of funding and donations.
There are more meetings planned, but there doesn’t seem to be a resolution in sight. But regardless of which side seniors fell on, they agree on one point: they want to put this behind them and become a family once again.
