S4 board dismisses Marva Richardson

May 03, 2012 2:05 PM

AMSTERDAM - St. Maarten Student Support Services S4 Director Marva Richardson has been dismissed by the S4 board effective May 1 over a management conflict. Richardson wants her job back and has retained a lawyer.

Communication between Richardson and the board seems to have been the greatest factor in her dismissal. S4 board Chairwoman Brenda Emmen-Hassell said the board had begun trying to change Richardson's management style more than a year ago, following complaints by personnel and students.

According to Emmen-Hassell, there were "many complaints" and several S4 personnel left the organisation because they were unhappy with Richardson's style of management.

The board explained in a press release Wednesday evening that S4 management had been "repeatedly the subject of discontent uttered numerous times by the students" and that there also had been "serious staff issues and departures."

The board spoke of "lack of transparency and positive communication" and stated that the "serious differences of opinion between the board and the director unfortunately could not be repaired."

"For this reason, the board saw itself forced to terminate the labour agreement with the director, as her employer."

In the press release, the S4 board and staff reiterated their commitment to continuing to provide the necessary services to all students. "Together we aim for a higher level of transparency and positive communications with our stakeholders, but mainly for the students furthering their studies in The Netherlands," the board stated.

Noting that the board had appointed a coach early February, Emmen-Hassell said the coach had been hired to assist and to improve communication and dialogue with the board. However, Richardson had another view of the appointment of what she called an "audit coach." According to her, the coach supervised her and scrutinised the financial books.

Richardson said the board had reduced her authority as director effective February 1 and she no longer was allowed to make financial transactions. Because she wasn't clear about her tasks, she said she had asked the board for clarification, but received none.

Richardson said she had always run S4 in a proper financial way. Accounting firm KPMG approved the financial year 2010 and S4 is awaiting approval for 2011 by the same firm. She said S4 had closed off 2011 with a positive result of more than 100,000 euros and that the foundation's income had grown by more than 20 per cent.

Richardson attributed the higher income to the hard and dedicated work of S4 personnel and a profitable arrangement with the Dutch study-financing organisation DUO, to handle the approximately 50 students from the Dutch public entities Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba.

The board informed Richardson of her dismissal on April 27, by a letter in which she was told that she would be relieved of her duties as of May 1. She was instructed to hand over all belongings, including her telephone, to the board and was offered two months pay.

S4 personnel received a letter on May 1 informing them that their director had been dismissed. The letter stated that the director "didn't wish to stick to the course of the board." Entities with which S4 does business received a letter on May 2 stating that the Board had dismissed Richardson "due to circumstances." Students will be informed this week. Outgoing Minister of Education Rhoda Arrindell has already been informed of the situation.

Richardson said she knew why she had been dismissed. "It is politics. The board wants the S4 offices to move back to The Hague. They want to integrate S4 into the St. Maarten House, because they say it is more cost-efficient. I am in the way. I am being punished," she told The Daily Herald on Wednesday.

Richardson has hired a lawyer and hopes to get her job back. "I have done my work with all my heart. To me it was not just a job. I put everything into it. It is a pity that things have gone this way." She said S4's two main sponsors – the St. Maarten Government and DUO – had been satisfied with her work as director.

According to Richardson, the lines of responsibility are clearly defined in the agreement between S4 and the St. Maarten Government. S4's task is to assist St. Maarten students in The Netherlands. That task and the cooperation with government are formalised in an agreement.

Through this agreement, the government has an influence on the tasks performed by S4. The board is autonomous, while the director is the first contact point between S4 and the government. "The Board is not a party in this communication," explained Richardson, who added that she had always had Minister Arrindell's support.

Richardson was appointed director on May 1, 2009, when she succeeded Linda Richardson. She was given a one-year contract initially, but this was extended to an indefinite contract in 2010.

(The Daily Herald)