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DEL.ICIO.USIf she were a he, maybe Pinder would be A-OK
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Maybe it wasn’t The Hug.
Maybe it’s none of the reasons being bandied about. Or perhaps it’s all of them and then some.
On June 12, the Gwinnett County Public Library Board of Trustees fired Jo Ann Pinder, the library chief, in a very public, humiliating way. They exercised their right to can her “without cause,” then used a parliamentary procedure to keep the sole board member who supported the librarian from speaking. How cunning and lily-livered.
There’s got to be some explanation for showing Pinder the door. It could be any number of things, from legit reasons tied to a lapse in job performance to farcical ones fueled by personalities. Too bad Chairman Lloyd Breck and board members Phyllis Oxendine, Dale Todd and Margaret Tiller lack the fortitude to give us, much less Pinder, an explanation.
Mum’s the operative word.
Since it is, I’d like to offer an explanation that makes as much sense as anything else I’ve heard regarding an issue more suited for making headlines in DeKalb than Gwinnett.
Four days before Pinder was let go, the library board drafted a letter that outlined concerns with the way she handles relationships and people in general. They said she was rude to public officials, disrespectful to library board members and “heavy handed” with employees.
Then there’s the issue of The Hug, or lack thereof.
It seems that Todd, the library board member, was offended during a May 15 budget workshop in which Pinder, before a roomful of people, refused a hug she extended. Pinder said she had suffered a back injury.
None of this sounds like firing offenses, especially for someone who has brought library operations into the 21st century.
It’s understandable when an employer evaluates an employee’s substandard performance, and makes an ultimatum: Clean up your act or else. Then, the employer sets a specific time for a turnaround.
So, let’s play what-if. What if Pinder were a man?
Imagine that Mr. Pinder, our acclaimed librarian, is brash, bold, bull-headed, short of wit and acid-tongued. He doesn’t like giving or receiving hugs, back injury or not. Don’t even think about it.
Mr. Pinder has had some missteps.
Last year, he recommended that the board sell off its collection of DVDs, audio CDs and videotapes because theft-prevention measures might prove too costly. But after the board reversed the decision, he apologized for not doing a better job of alerting the public before pulling the collection from shelves.
Then in March, Mr. Pinder apologized to the board and two home school moms who said he yelled at them during a dispute over public records.
Firing offenses? Hardly.
Which brings me to my point: Maybe gender figures into Pinder’s fate just as strongly as personality conflicts, management style and debates regarding the library’s mission. Would a man with a similar record, coupled with the same type of demeanor, be fired without cause? Or would he be tapped on the wrist and lauded for being a bullish but exceptionally qualified supervisor?
I think it’s highly plausible that if Pinder were a man, the outcome would have been different. It’s just a suggestion, one that’s a lot more palatable and reasonable than the unacceptable silence emanating from the library board.
Let me know what you think.
Comments
By James McCoy
June 29, 2006 07:17 AM | Link to this
My guess is not only is it “Hard out here being a pimp”,but also a person with character and integrity in today’s society. There are forces or segments of our society who are begining to force their my way or the highway standards and morals on other people regardless of what is right or wrong,which is very subjective in it’s self!
By seeing through the smoke
June 29, 2006 08:11 AM | Link to this
I can only say, and I am so glad I don’t actually live in Gwinnett County having followed this fiasco, if the board fired anyone because they didn’t hug somebody — there is a BIG problem in Gwinnett.
I suspect it has more to do with the incredible backward thinking, neanderthal-esque “conservatism” I keep hearing reported in the press regarding Gwinnett. Way to promote your local county government, folks! good job, and thank god I don’t live in Gwinnett. (rest assured I won’t be spending any of my hard earned $$$ supporting Gwinnett, either!!!)
By Michael H. Smith
June 29, 2006 08:25 AM | Link to this
This library debacle is politics as usual. Only the voters in this county can change that fact. It is clear, no one on the Commission feels so inclined, nor, does the two factions of cabal in this county.
By Cosmo
June 29, 2006 10:16 AM | Link to this
To seeing through the smoke. I used to live in Gwinnett county and believe me it isn’t conservative by quite liberal and getting more liberal everyday - one of the reasons I now live in Cobb.
Not everyone is a people person and if she was terminated for persnnel issues then they should dhave stated as such. But I get the feeling by the board’s actions that they just didn’t like her and wanted her out. Seems in this case it isn’t illegal but that still doesn’t make it right….
By James McCoy
June 29, 2006 10:30 AM | Link to this
The people on the Library Board should set the example of being what is refered to a people person. Instead they have raise the bar level of what’s acceptable rudeness and crudeness.
By Joni Morrill
June 29, 2006 11:48 AM | Link to this
Rick, From all that I have read in the media about the firing of Pinder by the Board, I am surprised that the vast majority of stories, blogs, editorials, etc. are in favor of Pinder and against the Board. Quite frankly, I think that the people who are happy with the Board’s decission are just clamming up because they got what they wanted. I am just one of those people. I am a former employee of GCPL but not a disgruntled one. I worked as a book shelver, a CSA for 3 years and I generally liked the job. I was overlooked for a promotion which was given to a person who had never even worked in a library before which might give some people the idea that I am a disgruntled ex-employee but, I have no hard feelings about that. Because I am an ex-employee, I know a lot of things that go on and I know a lot of people who still work for GCPL. There are always two sides of the story and I feel that only one of them has been heard. The other side of the story probably won’t come out because it is the employee’s side and there is genuine fear of losing jobs if they voice any opinion. I know that most people look at this situation from a Library Patron’s point of view. I know that the vast majority of people that I know who actually worked for Pinder are extremely happy that she’s gone. Maybe their misery will end but for many, it comes too late because they were forced out of their jobs during the past two years. Many people are spouting off about how the patrons were happy with the job that Pinder did but not much was written about the many who think that the things that she did were worthy of losing her job over. Those people are commented on as being “the religious nuts”, or “crazy homeschool moms” but they are normal every day people with ligitimate beliefs and are in fact, Library Patrons also, just not always as vocal as others. Everyone needs to be careful before they make judgements and both sides of the story should be looked at. Also, if the Borad has the right to hire or fire without cause, then they should be alowed to do their jobs, otherwse, change board policies so that they can’t do that. That is my peace, whether anyone publicly agrees with me or not, is up to them. I am glad she is gone
By Katheryn Garrett
June 29, 2006 11:49 AM | Link to this
Mr. Badie,
Hello. I apologize if you are receiving this a second time. When I typed in my email address before posting, the screen went blank.
I enjoy reading your opinions and the blogs; I, too, sometimes post a response. Anyhow, recently I have heard of some school districts banning certain childhood games that most of us enjoyed in our youth or even as recent as this past weekend. These games include but are not limited to tag, hide-and-seek, and musical chairs.
The cry is that a child may feel left out or get hurt.
I would love for your readers to blog on this issue. I myself am flabbergasted that there are parents and even non-parent adults who are afraid of a child getting a bruise or handling the possibility that someone else won today. Are these parents aware that these same little ones will one day be adults who will have to handle these and even bigger let downs? I suppose these adults forget that we learn how to handle the big problems by practicing handling the smaller ones. Okay, I am off my soap box for now. By the way, I say playing these games is essential to the healthy development of our children.
Here is something regarding this issue I found online.
To: vision2020 vision2020@moscow.com Subject: Some Schools Banning “Tag”, “Dodge Ball”, “Hide-n-Seek” From: John Harrell johnbharrell@yahoo.com Date: Fri, 28 Jun 2002 20:39:33 -0700 (PDT) Resent-Date: Fri, 28 Jun 2002 20:40:03 -0700 (PDT) Resent-From: vision2020@moscow.com Resent-Message-ID: IKsSDD.A.68V.RwSH9@whale2.fsr.net Resent-Sender: vision2020-request@moscow.com
Here’s another bit of silliness affecting public schools I thought all the visionaries would find interesting.
Mr. Tim Kinkade, of this happening here in MSD, yet?
Cheers! John Harrell
Chuck Muth, Editor/Publisher chuckmuth@earthlink.net http://www.chuckmuth.com/newsletter/
Kids Games
One of our readers recently sent me a note asking if I’d heard anything about efforts to ban the kids’ game “Tag.” In fact, I have.
Patrick Hruby wrote about the PC attacks on all kinds of kids’ games in a Washington Times story back in May. Here are some highlights (or low-lights, rather) about games these goofballs think should be banned from the playground.
TAG is out because it favors “fast children over slower ones; creates potential for inappropriate touching and/or sexual harassment; (plus) designation of one child as ‘it’ ostracizes said child from the overall group and may result in long-term feelings of shame and embarrassment.”
Instead of tag, the wingnuts suggest playing “Shake,” where “children chase each other in order to shake hands and exchange pleasantries” and no one is “it.”
DODGE BALL is a no-no because it’s “too violent, too exclusionary, too, well, NASTY.” Neil Williams, the bozo who’s leading an effort to ban dodge ball from schools says, “It’s like giving each of the kids a hammer in shop class, having them put their hands on the table, then seeing if you can slam a kid’s hand with the hammer before he can get out of the way.”
No it’s not. Not even close. But wouldn’t you like to see someone smash Williams’ hand with a hammer, though?
HIDE-N-SEEK’s gotta go say opponents because it, “Forces children to ‘hide’ from others, undercutting self-esteem (and) discriminates against obese children, who are less likely to find adequate hiding places.” Gimme a break.
The PC’ers suggest “Wave-n-Smile” instead. In this stupid game, “one child closes his or her eyes and counts to 10; the others scatter around the field of play. When the child opens his or her eyes, the other children wave and smile from their positions.”
Oh, yeah. That sounds like a LOT more fun.
And finally, MUSICAL CHAIRS gets the old heave-ho. You see, it’s “inappropriate for deaf children;” the “musical accompaniment (is) potentially ethnocentric,” and “children who are eliminated may feel ‘left out’ or consider themselves ‘losers.’”
No, the losers are the idiots who suggest that instead of musical chairs, kids play “Special Chairs,” where “children sit on chairs that are arranged in a circle” and the “instructor tells each child one-by-one that they are a ‘special, special person.’”
I think I’m gonna go toss my cookies. Is that a game?
By Corn-fused
June 29, 2006 12:58 PM | Link to this
How did these games get into the Pinder discussion? While I totally agree with the poster, I think he/she is in the wrong blog. LOL
By Happy
June 29, 2006 01:28 PM | Link to this
Is someone actually suggesting that Pinder's bullying, intimidating, humiliating trantrums, as described by many former employees, should have been excused or ignored, or that nobody would have minded if she were a man? **No man, woman, or beast has the right to treat others in such an abominable way. And we taxpayers have no obligation to keep feeding the hand that bites us.** Yes, there are many things that were good and right about the library during Pinder's reign. Dictatorial leaders are often efficient. Does that absolve them of responsiblity for their behavior? Even in Mussolini's Italy, the trains ran on time. I hear that Italy's a much nicer place to live and work now that Mussolini's gone.The future looks bright for the Gwinnett County Public Library.
By mark
June 29, 2006 01:57 PM | Link to this
Let’s see: The press has played the religion card, the racism card and now the sexism card. What a looser’s deck.
By Bruce Wilcox
June 29, 2006 02:03 PM | Link to this
My wife and have used the library quite often, I was always impressed with service and selection. Shelves stocked, a good selection, friendly service and what I really noticed was the number of children enjoying the library. If this was a private company and she was ceo, she would have been considered brilliant, not so in politics.
The board takes over and with the increasing influx of Latino’s the board decides to cut funding for books in Spanish? I guess the plan was if you take away they’re pleasure of reading they’ll all move from the county. The protests over this inane idea spanned the nation and even the world. Embarrassed they restored the funding and made the South look backwards again.
Two examples of leadership, Pinder and the board, tell me, who would you pick to lead?
By Happy
June 29, 2006 02:23 PM | Link to this
We already HAVE picked, and guess what…. we didn’t want Pinder! Besides, it never has been a Pinder OR the Board proposition. It was Pinder and the board, or another director and the board. I have known this board for nearly a year now. On the board, we have Phyllis Oxendine, a kind, generous and smart Southern lady; Dale Todd, a genuinely caring, sharp businesswoman; Lloyd Breck, a quiet and strong leader known for his integrity, Margaret Tiller, a lady with a lifetime of experience running county agencies, and…..Brett Taylor… (well, you can’t win ‘em all)
Yes, I put my trust in this board’s leadership. They’ve earned it.
By Mrs.M.
June 29, 2006 02:46 PM | Link to this
Before anyone else tries to blame Pinder’s fate on her sex, they should read what her former employees have to say and then ask themselves, “Would this have mattered if Pinder was a man?” Anyone who can answer “No!” with a straight face is a Joker indeed.
The news of Jo Ann Pinder’s firing was truly the best news I have heard in a long time. I applaud this library board for their courage to do what should have been done long ago. I am a former employee who almost had a nervous breakdown because of Pinder and I have spent many years since my employment there just trying to forget the experience. The years I spent working for her were the most miserable I have ever spent on any job. And the sad thing is that my experience was not mine alone but that of many, many other good people. I watched as she went after employee after employee until she had either fired them, demoted them, humiliated them, or they left the system. Her rages and tantrums were unbelievable and when they were directed at you it was the most frightening experience you can imagine. My stomach used to literally sink to my toes when she would appear. You never knew when she would explode about the most inconsequential thing. I hope that now that she is gone the atmosphere of the library will improve but unfortunately I think she hired or kept staff that she created in her image.
Peggy Deyton, Union County - June 16, 2006
Tickled PINK!!! I had the misfortune to work at GCPL for nearly eight years, and witnessed some of Pinder’s rages, and heard of a great many more. She is known among her staff for her temper, and her violent outbursts. GCPL staff refer to this as “being pinderized”. Until recently, she managed to keep these outburtsts in check during public meetings. Ask yourselves, why does GCPL have the highest employee turnover rate of any of the metro counties? Why is GCPL the only local library system that ALWAYS has available positions? Current and former employees will be more than happy to tell you. What goes around, comes around - sometimes it just takes time. I’ve also written to the board members and the commissioners to express a heartfelt “Thank you!”. I remember this very nice person [Peggy Deyton, above] from my time at GCPL. Pinder used to visit the branches occasionally, and pizza was served to the employees. The time she visited our branch, the pizza was late, and she called this woman and screamed at her with the branch staff in earshot.
Abijah Butler - June 19, 2006
want to applaud Phyllis Oxendine and the others involved in the dismissal of Jo Ann Pinder. Having worked for Gwinnett County Public Library system in the past in a managerial position, I can honestly say Pinder is one of the most uncaring, unprofessional, egotistical, incompetent directors I have ever worked under. She has no sense of compassion or even common caring where human beings are concerned. I hope that the new leadership will be more people-conscious in dealing with the staff and patrons.With the large turnover the system has experienced at her hands, it is high time that the library attracts new employees and management staff. I want to think of this as not setting the library back, but it is fixing what has been wrong and moving forward.
Sally Willis-Mayer - Jun 14, 2006 Former Gwinnett library computer operations manager, Buford
As a former employee of the Gwinnett County Library System for four years, I feel I must say that my time spent working in that county was some of the most miserable years of my life. I have worked in several library systems now and I have never worked in a worse environment than that of Gwinnett County’s Library under JoAnn Pinder. I was finally able to leave the system a year ago when I found a new job with a new library system where I am very happy. My reasons for leaving Gwinnett are simple: poor management and unethical behavior on the part of those in management positions, with bad decisions made for the customers, staff, and the system as a whole. Katherine W. Kennedy, Flowery Branch - Jun 8, 2006
By Bruce Wilcox
June 29, 2006 03:19 PM | Link to this
Boy was I wrong, I thought the whole idea was serving the public, little did I realize her job was to keep the employees happy. I wonder what the break down is of employees that are whiners and those who actually uunderstand what a job means? As I said, if she was a ceo she would have been considered brilliant, not so in politics.
By Mrs. M.
June 29, 2006 03:32 PM | Link to this
Mr. Wilcox, We are in agreement! Jo Ann Pinder was a dismal failure in the political arena. Perhaps, as you suggest, she will become a CEO of a large private company, where only profits count and employees are abused without consequence as long as the money rolls in. I hope you work for her. And please, no whining! Don’t you understand what a job is?
By Bruce Wilcox
June 29, 2006 05:49 PM | Link to this
Do I understand what a job is? Let’s see, I get paid to do a certain job, if I do it right I get rewarded with a raise, if not a reprimand, it’s all pretty simple really. If you have a job where the boss may be a pain to you, the option is there to seek other employment, again pretty simple. I had good bosses and bad bosses, they come and go, just like employees, yet again, all pretty simple.
By Dave
June 29, 2006 06:06 PM | Link to this
I personally think that the firing of Pinder was because she was an “in your face” leader.
Today’s culture and the politically correct mess has also been the down fall of other great leaders. She got the shaft for doing her job, and doing the job without kissing up to the ‘religious group of home school mommies’ or the board members. One blogger gave much praise to three board members and bashed the only one defending Pinder’s performance, that should tell us where this blogger stands; he has his hand on the gullotine lever. Anyway, she is gone and she will be missed by people like myself that did not know her personally, but did receive the benefits of her good hard nosed mangement style of the Gwinnett County Library System. Good luck Mrs Pinder,.
By Bruce Wilcox
June 29, 2006 09:50 PM | Link to this
Rick the same day your article ran the police decided to release the name. Strange timing. What did they say about the power of the pen is mighty than the sword.
By many of the comments I’ve seen, many didn’t even bothered to read it, or may be that explains our low test scores on reading?
By regularjoe
June 29, 2006 10:58 PM | Link to this
I use the library a lot and I like it. I never met Ms. Pinder, but from some of the letters and news stories, more than a few people believe she should not have been fired. On the flip side it seems a lot of her employees (former and current)are glad to see her gone.
Perhaps a job like that should have a term limit for the director, possibly 10 years as director then an automatic selection to the library board and a position as asst. director. That would keep the person in the system and give the employees fresh leadership.
By Bruce Wilcox
June 29, 2006 11:40 PM | Link to this
Sorry about the above comment, it was suppose to be on the other comments. I guess I hit the wrong button.
By penguinmom
June 30, 2006 12:16 AM | Link to this
It is true that most people enjoy their local branches. The sad thing is that over the past several years the selection that Bruce speaks of has gone downhill.
As an example, when my son was younger, we went to a particular branch often. It had 4 or 5 rounders of paperback fictions books, 2 1/2 aisles of non-fiction children’s books and 2 aisles of hardback fiction. There were also baskets in the window seats of other popular paperback titles. Last week, in the same branch, I counted and there are only 2 aisles of non-fiction children’s books, 1 1/2 aisles of hardback fiction, the rounders and baskets are gone and all the paperback books are now displayed on one side of the final aisle. In the early reader area, there used to be cubbies full to overflowing with hardback I Can Read books and baskets and organizers full of paper back books. Now, the hardback I can Read books fit on only one side of one aisle, the cubbies are over half empty and the paper backs are loosely stored in the rest.
Clearly, somewhere along the way, the selection and broadness of the collection has gone downhill.
Perhaps, Pinder would not have been fired if she was a man. But, it is unlikely that a man would have handled things in a similar manner. Men tend to be able to look at things a little more objectively and to be able to separate job from personality. Yes, that is a sexism thing to say but I’m a woman so I guess I’m allowed to talk against my own sex.
I do not believe JoAnn was fired because she didn’t give Dale Todd a hug. Dale does not seem to be a vindictive sort of person. As recently as April, Dale was speaking very kindly toward JoAnn. I believe that 9 months worth of bad publicity finally got the better of Ms. Pinder. And Brett’s little trick did not help Ms Pinder in any way. I think, if anything, his unethical letter just firmed up the resolve of any board members who might have been wavering. If Ms Pinder wants to blame someone for her embarassment, she can blame Brett. Without his efforts, Ms Pinder would have been informed of her firing in a private meeting prior to the public announcement. Brett’s shenanigans made that impossible.
By jim d
June 30, 2006 08:51 AM | Link to this
Mr. Badie,
Allow me to point out a man in Gwinnett that was not fired for several firing offenses. Things like falsifying state reports and alleged violations of Georgia’s sunshine laws. Then there’s always his heavy-handed management of employee’s and rudeness to anyone that would dare question his actions publicly. Have you started to get a clue yet as to whom I’m referring?
If you guessed Alvin J. Wilbanks, you’re dead right.
I ask you, could Mrs. Pinder’s offenses been any worse than what the public has accepted from this man? My guess is no. His only redeeming grace is that he apparently hasn’t po’d the wrong home school moms.
By nikki
June 30, 2006 11:43 AM | Link to this
When things aren’t going right in private or public workplaces, it is always right to change the management. Things weren’t going right, she got fired, move on.
As for Mr. Wilbanks, everyone has a boss, pursue it and he will have to answer also. I know you are clever enough.
By penguinmom
June 30, 2006 11:15 PM | Link to this
We could all wish for the school board to get as much courage as the library board has. I’ve been shocked at the rubber-stamping they have done. What’s the point of having a school board if they’re just going to agree with everything Wilbanks says?
The same with the library board, their purpose is to help keep the library administration accountable to the community as a whole. In this instance, they performed wonderfully.
By Ron Wright
July 1, 2006 06:29 PM | Link to this
We have given the Gwinnett County Library Board of Trustees enough histronics about firing their esteemed library director, Jo Ann Pinder. They were not elected to their position by the people of Gwinnett County. Each was appointed by a County Commissioner, none of whom are willing to make any public announcement about the firing fiasco. Are the voters of Gwinnett County so naive that they believe the commissioners who say they are too busy doing the work of their county constiuents to inquire why their appointed board member fired Ms. Pinder without cause. I believe choosing their selection for the library board and inquiring why certain votes and actions of the board members are humilating the county to be a integral part of their duty. I do not think we have to wait until the commissioners run for reelection to voice our discontent over the library boards vicious and immoral, if not criminal, grandstand to fire the leader of what was, but never will be again, the U.S. library of the year. We the voters of Gwinnett need to bring this question before the commissioners at every county function between now and election time and before the Library Board of Trustees makes additional errors of embarrassing magnitude that decimate the Gwinnett County Library. We must tell the commissioners that we enjoy the freedom to read and borrow books from one of the finest libraries in the United States and we want to continue those freedoms even if the emperors would rather fiddle.
a concerned voter, Ron Wright