In a video posted to social media, Democratic Councilmember Anula Courtis says she personally dropped off termination paperwork for 31-year-old Michael Innello at the Ulster County Civil Service office in Kingston, against the wishes of Democratic Supervisor Bill McKenna.
“We did what was right, and we did what the town supervisor refused to do: respect the will of the town board and to process the paperwork," says Courtis.
Innello was convicted in 2020 of possessing child pornography and sexually abusing an unconscious woman. Members of the Town Board say McKenna withheld this information from them when he presented Innello as a candidate for an outdoor maintenance position in March. After weeks of public outcry, the Board passed a resolution to fire Innello, but McKenna refused to submit the necessary paperwork.
McKenna did not return a request for comment Thursday, but he has repeatedly defended his decision to hire (and not fire) Innello. McKenna has said Innello is a good employee, that Woodstock believes in “second chances,” and that firing Innello for his criminal record could be a civil rights violation or a breach of his contract.
“The union contract clearly states, ‘in the event the employee’s performance or conduct is not satisfactory’ [for firing]," he told WAMC. "I believe that the town will be put in harm’s way if I follow through with this resolution.”
Courtis says she contacted the New York Attorney General’s Office, the Ulster County district attorney, and Innello’s parole officer before terminating him. She acknowledges there may be “next steps” in the saga, and that Innello’s union, the Communication Workers of America, could challenge the decision. But she says that’s what the town’s lawyers are for.
“That is a standard process. That is why the town has attorneys and consultants, and they understand rules and regulations," she adds. "And that does not outweigh the safety of all the individuals, all the employees of this town.”
The Local 1120 chapter of Communication Workers of America did not return a request for comment Thursday. McKenna has maintained that Inello’s job did not put him around minors, but at least one town employee has testified to the Board that they saw him working near a camp orientation with children on June 27.
Courtis says Woodstock is not firing Innello for his criminal record, but because his record was not properly reviewed during the hiring process. Woodstock removed questions about criminal history from its job applications in 2014, but Courtis says there still wasn’t a proper background check, and the Board should have been informed of Innello’s sex offender status before they voted to hire him. The posting for the job dated back to 2022, she says, and was not widely posted to attract candidates.
“The process broke down A-Z…If we have an open position for a laborer: post it, advertise it, get the resumes, sort through the resumes, bring them forward to the town board. Let’s receive the best possible person for that position," says Courtis. "All of this is meant to have an open and transparent board-level discussion, and none of that happened.”
Members of the Board have also said the town does not need a specific work-related grievance to fire Innello during his six-month probationary period — although McKenna says the union contract disputes that. Innello’s probationary period was set to end in September, according to McKenna.
He has maintained the town’s hiring practices were properly followed, that the job had been notoriously hard for the town to fill, and that Innello was honest with him during job interviews. Asked why he didn’t disclose Innello’s record to the Board, McKenna says they didn’t ask. His written statement adds: “Failure on their part to do so is not withholding information on my part. The failure to do their jobs is in fact the reason I am not seeking reelection. Perhaps the Board should consider amending hiring practices.”
McKenna is not seeking a fifth two-year term starting next year. Courtis is running for the supervisor’s seat this November, with the Democratic Party nomination.
Courtis says she believes in “second chances,” but she also thinks it’s time to reexamine the town’s hiring practices.
“One thing I’d like to do is implement a consistent human resources policy for all employees going forward," she tells WAMC. "That includes a background check. It includes making those personnel files open to Town Board members, and I think that’s a very important part of the process.”
