THE FOLLOWING IS A NEWS-GAZETTE ARTICLE BY JENNIFER BAILEY
ABOVE: Sandra Finch
DANVILLE — A 35-year city of Danville employee was fired from her position Tuesday, in part she believes, for trying to stand up for a woman’s rights with a landlord issue.
Human Relations Administrator Sandra Finch confirmed she was fired from her position, saying, “It’s a bogus reason. It’s not grounds for termination.”
Danville Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. said the firing is a personnel matter and he can’t comment on it; and he said the landlord complaint had nothing to do with Finch’s dismissal.
Williams said he’d have to talk to the city’s attorney about saying anything further.
Finch said of her firing, “it’s just not right. It’s not right. It’s not over.”
She added, “Thirty-five years I’ve worked for the city and this is how I have been treated by the mayor of this city. He should be ashamed of himself, but I know he’s not. This is what I get in return.”
Finch said this is Williams’ way of trying to ruin her reputation.
“I have stood up for people’s rights the whole time I have been in that position. To be treated like this by this mayor is just terrible, and he knows exactly what he has done,” she said.
At Tuesday night’s city council meeting, landlord and Vermilion County Board member Jerry Hawker said about Finch’s firing, “It’s a sad day for the city of Danville.” He said Williams “chose to no longer keep the excellent services” of Finch.
Hawker said he worked closely with Finch for 20 years, as a landlord, and “she has always been the protector of the downtrodden, the minority and those that are marginalized in our community.”
He said she’s been very active for years with the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, and “it’s very sad because she has spoken up for especially one individual that she has now lost her job.”
Hawker thanked Finch for her years of service.
Finch said she believes a recent issue of a tenant complaining about a landlord initiated “all of this and it’s part of the reason,” regarding her firing. “That’s the major part and there are other parts,” she said.
“There’s a process that should have been used by the city and it wasn’t used. That is my opinion,” Finch said. “I did my job in reference to that case. I am a neutral party. I look at evidence. There’s a process that I go through and that’s what I followed. When I get information that does not add up, I have to investigate and give the other side the opportunity to respond.”
Finch’s responsibilities with the city included: directing the activities of the Danville Human Relations Commission; enforcing the city’s anti-discrimination laws, Chapter 95, the Human Relations Ordinance; investigating, issuing findings, and conciliating settlement agreements on cases covered by the Human Relations Ordinance; assisting citizens with problems regarding employment issues; processing and investigating complaints against city police/employees; writing and preparing investigative reports and letters for discrimination complaints, police complaints, contract compliance, city projects, community programs, other complaints, etc.; developing and updating the city’s Affirmative Action Plan; enforcing the city’s Affirmative Action Requirements regarding city projects; mediating and/or resolving landlord and tenant complaints; facilitating complaints between city employees and management; creating and implementing programs related to areas of equal opportunity; assisting in the recruitment of police and fire applicants; planning and conducting programs that promote diversity and good human relations; and preparing and providing required Equal Employment Opportunity status reports to state and federal agencies.
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