BCL Trustees settle
Robles lawsuit, will pay
former librarian $35K

January 23, 2015
Santa Paula News

Calling it a “sound business decision” Blanchard Community Library Board Trustees announced they have settled a lawsuit filed by former longtime Librarian Dan Robles.

Robles’ lawsuit filed in February alleged breach of contract and wrongful termination after an approximately 40-year library career that started when he was a teenage volunteer and ended in April 2013 when he was terminated. His suit had sought a minimum of $50,000 plus interest for lost wages and benefits as well as attorney costs.

Trustees, who alleged Robles’ had mismanaged the library, and Robles agreed to a $35,000 settlement according to BCL Interim Director Ned Branch.

In a statement released Wednesday, Branch noted, “The Library believes that it has a very defensible position and that it has acted in accordance with the law; nonetheless, the Library has agreed to a settlement with Mr. Robles.

“By resolving this matter, there is no admission of wrong doing or liability, but the litigation costs of a jury trial lasting a week or more - including an extensive number of witnesses, a significant amount of evidence, expert testimony, and jury selection - far exceeds the cost of the settlement and puts closure to the matter.”

In an interview Branch said the library has already dipped into funds to fight Robles’ lawsuit, “Clearly has been into the tens of thousands of dollars already.” 

And, the cost to pursue litigation could be “well into six figures... obviously nobody knows for sure but the trial alone was anticipated to go for more than a week. It’s not just the length of the trial,” but also “bringing in expert witnesses and prepping witnesses... and there would have been a lot of witnesses on our side.”

Preparation, Branch noted, would have probably been much longer than the actual trial.

“In looking at our patrons’ money we had to consider how is that money best spent. Certainly at this point in time the idea was how to be as economical as possible although,” noted Branch, “the library felt they had a very winnable case.”

Nevertheless, according to the statement, “The library has limited resources and better serves the community by providing necessary library services and limiting the expenditure of funds for litigation costs. The board believes it is a sound business decision to resolve the matter at this time and preserve those funds for future necessary library uses.”

Robles was fired in April 2013 after months of rising public criticism and contentious meetings that had started more than a year previously. 

He was making more than $70,000 annually plus benefits according to the complaint his attorney, Leslie McAdam of Ferguson, Case, Orr, Patterson, had filed in February 2014 in Ventura County Superior Court.

Robles  was   appointed   librarian in 1979 but had volunteered at the North 8th Street library since 1966, when he was a teenager. 

The complaint against library trustees had noted Robles “was instrumental in saving the library from closure due to lack of funding by organizing the public to approve a parcel assessment and create a library district, and has been recognized for his excellence through numerous awards such as the California Library Association’s Public Librarian Award of Excellence, which he received in 2010.”

Among the allegations detailed in the library’s response to Robles’ lawsuit was that he had breached fiduciary duties, “thereby causing Blanchard to sustain damages.”

At an August 2013 BCL Trustees’ meeting Board President Linda Spink announced $750,000 in library funds were unaccounted for, an issue still being investigated by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.

Sometime in May 2013 the library no longer employed bookkeeper Tammy Ferguson, who joined BCL in 1993.

In  October  the  library received $450,000 - the capped limit - from its insurer on the library’s claim of theft/embezzlement. 

Robles did not respond to requests for comment.





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