FOI Commission dismisses complaints against Mosby – The Hour

02/10/16 – By Korey Wilson

HARTFORD — The Freedom of Information Commission upheld a recommendation to dismiss three complaints filed against Board of Education member Shirley Mosby on Wednesday.

The complaints, filed by Peter Torrano, Nancy Chapman and Michael Byrne, followed three FOI requests last year, where the complainants asked Mosby to show proof of a 2014 discrimination complaint that she filed with the Norwalk NAACP. [Read More]

Donation returned to Dem. who backed FOI complaint – The Bristol Press

By Steve Collins

BRISTOL — Not long after attending a fundraiser for Democratic city Councilor Mary Fortier, longtime party activist Terry Parker got a letter in the mail from her.

He said he thought it was a thank-you note, but when he opened it, he discovered that she had returned his $50 donation without explanation. The memo line simply said, “Returned donation.”

“My first reaction was shock,” said Parker, a former council member. “I was hurt.”

Though neither Fortier nor any other Democrat has explained why Parker’s check was rejected, he believes it was because he co-signed a complaint last month to the state Freedom of Information Commission about alleged secret meetings orchestrated by the party’s mayoral candidate, Ellen Zoppo-Sassu. [Read More]

Simmons calls on Stonington to release McKrell complaint – The Day

By Joe Wojtas

Stonington — Selectman Rob Simmons has called on First Selectman George Crouse to release a harassment complaint filed by Public Works Director Barbara McKrell to both he and Selectman Mike Spellman, who is among those named in the complaint.

After McKrell filed the complaint last month, the town’s Director of Administrative Services Vincent Pacileo alerted Spellman, Board of Education Chairman Frank Todisco, school board member Alisa Morrison and resident Cynthia DeCesare that they will need to be interviewed.

The four all said the town had refused to give them a copy of the complaint so they do not know if they are being accused of some type of wrongdoing or are witnesses. All four had raised questions or passed on complaints they have received from residents about the use of pesticides on the high school athletic fields.

Simmons said Crouse has not yet responded to his July 15 email request. Last week the town rejected the Day’s June 25 Freedom of Information request for the complaint. [Read More]

Southbury Selectman O’Neill denies FOI violation – Republican American

SOUTHBURY — A Freedom of Information complaint that alleges a town selectman threatened to call the police if a man did not leave a room at Town Hall before a meeting in October had its first hearing last week in Hartford.

Bernard Kokinchak of Southbury filed the complaint with the state Freedom of Information Commission against Selectman Jennifer O’Neill in her capacity as former acting chairwoman of the Animal Shelter Task Force. [Read More]