Entire staff resigns at Burlington-area sexual assault support center

An escalating labor dispute at Chittenden County’s main sexual assault support center led to the resignation of the entire staff Friday, leaving the future of the organization in question.

The eight staff members at HOPE Works, a nonprofit that supports sexual assault survivors from emergency response to ongoing therapy, walked off the job on Dec. 15 after victim advocate Lucy Basa was fired allegedly for calling the board of directors “comic book evil.”

The staff opposed a plan to sell part of the organization’s land and share a driveway and parking lot with local developer Eric Farrell. The staff members said the plan was a rotten deal between Farrell and board member Yves Bradley, a commercial realtor who was involved in the Burlington College debacle, and would undermine their efforts to create a safe and private space for survivors.

The proposal was ultimately voted down, according to a spokesperson for the board of directors, who said the board had a fiduciary responsibility to consider the plan and that Bradley had removed himself from conversations about it.

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https://vtdigger.org/2019/01/04/entire-staff-resigns-burlington-area-sexual-assault-support-center/amp/