Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

INUVIK (May 07/99) - Concerns of confidentiality at Ingamo Hall are at the root of two staff firings April 30.

The firings follow three staff suspensions and much tension between staff and the board of directors earlier this month.

Healthy babies co-ordinator, Michele Tomasino and program director, Colleen Belton, said they both received dismissal letters after they refused to destroy a package of documents alleging procedural disregard and racist and sexist comments made by a board member.

"The board is dealing with it. It's a board issue. It's an internal thing and I have no comment as the president of the Ingamo Hall friendship centre board," said new board president Brenda Bernhardt-MacNabb who has taken over the position after former board president Barry Greenland stepped down.

Tomasino and Belton said they intend to fight the firings through an appeal to the NWT Labour Standards Board as well as through the NWT Association of Friendship Centres.

Belton's dismissal letter, which she gave to the Drum, reasons that she did not submit a package of allegations to be destroyed and she threatened to take the package to those who fund Ingamo Hall's programs.

Tomasino's letter is similar but also cites that she would not keep confidential information confidential.

The information in question was obtained by the Drum also includes a April 22 memo to staff which Tomasino said crystallises how the board tried to "sweep our concerns under the carpet."

The memo signed by board members Greenland, Derek Lindsay, Clara Lindsay, Dennis Inglangasuk and Catherine Mitchell directs staff to hand over the documents alleging wrongdoing, and any discs files are on, to current executive director Gloria Allen.

Belton and Tomasino refused, they said, because "our concerns were not addressed."

Staff member Jodi Day handed over the package and still works at Ingamo Hall.

Staff concerns in the package include the derogatory remarks in the sworn affidavit, but also allege Greenland, as board president, often acted unilaterally and not in consort with the board, and that staff were within their rights to do things Greenland tried to keep them from doing.

Greenland would only say he hopes the board and staff can work together and that he would not comment further on any allegations.