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Community rallies behind Bartley employee amid board turmoil
BARTLEY, Neb. — A tense Village of Bartley Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday drew significant community support for longtime village employee Jim Foster, following a controversial decision in an earlier emergency session where Foster was given an ultimatum to resign or be fired. The decision stemmed from a sexual harassment complaint that officials said has since been retracted.
The meeting saw a packed Community Hall as residents voiced their support for Foster, while others expressed frustrations with the village clerk and the board. Notably, Board Chair Brandon Brott had resigned prior to the meeting, and there are concerns of more board resignations or a potential recall effort on the horizon.
At the earlier emergency meeting Sept. 3, the board went into a nearly hour-long executive session before calling in Foster. According to Foster, he was informed that a complaint had been lodged against him, accusing him of sexual harassment. The board then gave him the choice to either resign or be terminated. Foster, upset by the ultimatum, left the meeting without taking action, and the board did not proceed further.
In a letter read aloud at the regular meeting, Foster clarified his position: "On Sept. 3, 2024, I was called into an emergency meeting and promptly informed I had a choice of being fired or handing in my resignation. I at no time said I quit or I resigned."
The atmosphere at the regular meeting was emotionally charged. Many community members spoke in favor of Foster, while some raised additional concerns about Village Clerk Ronnie Harding and the board’s handling of village matters. There were also calls for more board resignations.
In an interview, Foster expressed his disappointment at the criticism directed at Harding.
"She's getting bombarded with all sorts of s—, and she and I have had each other's back for 13 years. Yeah, I feel sorry for her, because she's going through hell lot more s— than I am. You know, people talked about her, her hours and things like that, and they don't realize all the hats she has to wear."
Harding responded to the meeting by saying, "The Village of Bartley is full of good people, and people with good intentions, and I respect those there that wanted to be supportive of Jim Foster; he is a good, hardworking man. Those that came with the sole purpose to slander myself and trying to make people look incompetent was disheartening.”
Foster remains employed by the village and is currently on workers' compensation following an injury he sustained over the summer. He is expected to return to work by the end of the month.
According to information released at Wednesday's meeting, the person who initially filed the sexual harassment complaint has since withdrawn it.
As tensions continue, some community members are organizing a recall effort targeting the remaining board members. The next regular Board of Trustees meeting is set for Sept. 24, where Foster's employment is expected to be a key agenda item.