Letter: Tarrytown Ambulance Corps Has Taken Appropriate Measures

The writer is the Chair of the Tarrytown Volunteer Ambulance Corps Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors of the Tarrytown Volunteer Ambulance Corps wish to publicly underscore the Corps’ adoption of and commitment to its policy against all forms of discrimination and, in particular, against sexual harassment and retaliation. The policy, which we adopted in early 2010 and re-adopted in on December 21, 2011 to conform to the Village’s own anti-discrimination policy, reflects the Corps’ commitment to ensuring a safe and professional environment for its volunteers, its paid EMTs and, in particular, the patients that the Corps is dedicated to serve.

Accordingly, when allegations of sexual harassment were made against a particular Corps volunteer in 2011, the Corps’ then-serving Captain reacted quickly and appropriately by meeting with the individual, temporarily suspending the individual’s membership, and referring the matter to the Board of Directors. After itself meeting with the individual, the Board ratified the Captain’s decision and suspended the individual for six months.

The individual has not been reinstated and, pursuant to the Corps’ bylaws, the matter will soon be considered by a grievance committee which includes volunteers from the Corps’ general membership. Both the individual and the complainants are represented by counsel.

The Board’s actions in this matter have balanced the rights of its members to file complaints of harassment—complaints that the Tarrytown Volunteer Ambulance Corps have taken very seriously—with the protections that the Corps’ bylaws provide members against dismissal.

Joan C. DobsonChairwomanTarrytown Volunteer Ambulance Corps

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