I would like to suggest that our taxpayer dollars should be going towards a public institution that leads by positive example – not an institution that participates in false accusations, demonstrates undignified, disrespectful behavior towards constituents, topped off by a wildly hysterical public outburst.
My ordeal took place at the Great Neck Library Main Branch – a public spectacle few people witnessed – but for those who did – the memory and the sheer horror are, most assuredly, etched in their brains permanently.
I was the target of publicly humiliating bullying in the Community Room on May 23.
To stay silent is to allow Great Neck resident, Rebecca Gilliar, and library personnel further power, and this type of inappropriate power, no individual, male or female should possess.
On May 23, the Great Neck Library sponsored, “Is our Technological World Putting Our Health at Risk?”
Patti Wood, director of Grassroots Environmental Education (Port Washington), was the highly anticipated speaker. GN resident, Rebecca Gilliar was responsible for initiating this event.
That same evening, under the direction of Ms. Gilliar, a familiar library employee, placed her hand on my back to escort me out of the Community Room.
This inappropriate action occurred at the conclusion of a program I had worked tirelessly to promote over several months.
In a perverse twist, this same employee, who days earlier had praised me for my passion and dedication, was now instructed to escort me out of the room.
Sadly, I had walked into a premeditated trap concocted by Ms. Gilliar, with full participation and complicity by library personnel. I was shocked.
I plainly stated this behavior was inappropriate and had crossed a line. I was shouted at and advised by a male employee that if I didn’t leave – he would be forced to call the police.
Jerry Kirschner had this to say about what he witnessed, “I regret that an extremely informative evening was spoiled by Rebecca Gilliar’s unhinged and hysterical reaction when you attempted to distribute your flyer.”
A female attendee stated, “Port Washington would never have responded in such a way. It was absolutely your right to speak and tell people about your newly formed group. It was appalling to see this level of disrespect towards a fellow resident in public.”
The crime I was accused of was that of knowingly violating Library Policy by attempting to distribute flyers at the end of the program.
These flyers enabled attendees to connect with each other. The flyer was also intended to introduce a new citizen’s group whose objective was the preservation of public health and welfare in the face of emerging technologies.
Forty-eight hours before the event, I spoke twice to Library Director Denise Corcoran.
I queried her on what was permissible so that program attendees could connect with each other afterwards.
Ms. Corcoran advised it was permissible for me to give out my contact information to attendees. The catch was that I was to ask permission from Ms. Gilliar first.
Ms. Corcoran could not possibly have known that for the past two years, I have been on the receiving end of several hostile, aggressive emails from Ms. Gilliar.
Requiring her permission was a set-up.
Three library employees saw me and spoke with me, with great regularity, in the final weeks leading up to the May 23 program.
I asked if the library could place a paid advertisement in the local press.
It was explained that paid advertising was strictly against library policy. I was advised it was permissible for me to take out paid advertising – which I did twice — at a personal expense of $360. The advocacy group, “Be Safe. Be Smart. Long Island” was created specifically to sponsor the library event.
My objective was to level the playing field so that Great Neck leaders would be in the best position to make informed, intelligent choices for our community.
I actively distributed and emailed over 500 of the library’s event flyers to a diverse population of Great Neck leadership. It was my fear that Great residents would remain vulnerable to aggressive technology companies.
With such a generous and time-consuming volunteer effort, it makes the subsequent treatment by library personnel – towards me – unacceptable.
Word to the wise: when residents volunteer their time and energy to publicize a library sponsored program – the appropriate response should be: “Thank you very much. The library appreciates your effort and enthusiasm.”
What I received for my efforts was: “We’re calling the police.”
Judy Shore Rosenthal
Great Neck
