To the Editor:
I am writing today to express my concern about the failures of the Knox Town Board and supervisor to right the egregious accusation made against Dick Dexter, Joe Adriance, and Mark Young. These three residents/former employees of the town have been horribly mistreated by the town of Knox.

Because of what I can only describe as a vendetta against them proliferated by Vasilios Lefkaditis, and the pliability of the members of the board to the will of one man’s wishes, the men were let go illegally.

The result? Litigation resulting in settlements (paid with taxpayer dollars) as well as an understaffed transfer station (creating a higher likelihood of additional potential litigation against the town).

While this has been common knowledge and discussed ad nauseum by concerned citizens at meetings and here in the paper, what the group of citizens who appeared in support of the newly elected town supervisor were shocked to witness on Jan. 1, 2022 was the transfer station supervisor’s public statement about those three men [“Former Knox transfer station workers accused of theft, bullying,” The Altamont Enterprise, Jan. 5, 2022].

It occurred when their re-appointment was recommended by the new town supervisor to address the understaffing at the transfer station. (Please reference the letter to the editor submitted by Laura Murphy and Tim Fischer for Mr. Springer’s statement.)

The reason for today’s letter? I don’t believe that enough has been done to right this wrong.

While Supervisor [Russell] Pokorny finally addressed Mr. Springer’s claims as baseless at the March meeting, there was no attempt to revisit reinstating the men. This means that the damage done by the statement has not been rectified and Dick, Joe, and Mark are still suffering financial consequences because of the lies told that day.

Additionally, while the paper wrote a lengthy article in January about the accusations Mr. Springer made, the news that they were exonerated was relegated to a few sentences at the bottom of a previously published article — hardly the justice those men deserve.

As a taxpayer in Knox, I am asking that further steps be taken by this paper and the town board to reduce the financial exposure of the taxpaying public specifically relating to the illegal behavior of the elected officials and employees of this town directed towards Dick Dexter, Joe Adriance, and Mark Young — it is the proper thing to do, morally and financially.

Brigitte McAuliffe

Knox

Editor’s note: Since breaking the story on the fired transfer-station workers over two years ago, The Enterprise has covered it closely and will continue to do so.