DRACUT — Bad news keeps coming for the embattled host and producer of the controversial Dracut Access Television talk show “The Dracut Connection,” though he says he has no plans of backing down from the adversity.
Brian Bond, who had his DATV membership suspended earlier this month for allegations he brought a handgun into the station, recently found out he is no longer president of the DATV Board of Directors.
Sheryl Bourbeau, of Gallagher & Cavanaugh law firm in Lowell, which represents DATV, announced the news about Bond’s ousting in an email to the Sun.
According to Bourbeau, Bond’s removal was done by a board vote in accordance with DATV’s bylaws. With Bond out, Phil Thibault is now in as the board’s acting president and will remain in the position until the board elects a potential new president in January.
It’s unclear if the handgun allegation is the reason the board voted Bond out of his president seat.
Bond described his unseating as a “hostile takeover” by fellow DATV board members. He was voted into the position by the board in January.
“There’s a lot of controversy surrounding Dracut Access TV right now,” Bond said.
Thibault told the Sun on Sunday that DATV would be releasing a statement about the situation involving Bond on Monday. Thibault also denied Bond’s claims that his removal as president had anything to do with outstanding conflicts with the board.
In her email, Bourbeau further announced the appeal Bond filed in opposition to an allegation he brought a handgun to the nonprofit television station remains pending. Bond received a 90-day sentence, starting Sept. 4, due to the accusation.
Bond said he has a license to carry a concealed handgun, but bringing the weapon onto the DATV premises would be a “major violation” of the station’s bylaws, according to Bourbeau.
Bond claims the allegations are unfounded. He further describes the claim against him is as a tactic to have him booted off the board due to conflicts with other board members, most notably Thibault, John Zimini and Tami Dristiliaris.
“Even if I did bring (the gun) in — and I don’t recall ever walking in there with it — but if I did, they would have to see it,” Bond said when asked about the allegations earlier this month. “If it’s concealed, how can they see it? I think this is just a power play to get me removed. It’s to get control. (Zimini) wants the time slot.”
The time slot Bond is referencing is at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, when “The Dracut Connection” formerly aired live on DATV.
The show, produced by Bond, is a controversial talk show that delves into Dracut politics and current affairs. Zimini, a former Dracut selectman, served as a co-host on the show at times along with Bond.
Bond said he used to consider Zimini a close friend, but the relationship has since soured.
According to Bond, Zimini sullied the quality of the “The Dracut Connection” by using it to make personal attacks against people. As a result, Bond confronted Zimini, telling him he didn’t like the direction of the show and was considering shutting down the program, along with the show’s Facebook page.
Based on Bond’s accounts, Zimini became infuriated and demanded Bond turn over the show and its Facebook page to him. According to Bond, Zimini threatened him, saying if Bond refused the demands, he would be axed from the board. Roughly two weeks after this alleged exchange between the pair, Bond learned of his suspension through an email.
“The Dracut Connection” has not aired live on DATV since the suspension.
“I go back to my conversation with John Zimini,” Bond said. “If I don’t give up the show and give up the Facebook page, he’d have me removed from the board. It’s just a process that John is going through so he can get the showtime.”
A phone call placed to Zimini about the ordeal was not returned.
In filing the appeal, Bond said he will bring his case in front of a grievance committee. The former DATV board president is calling for evidence proving he brought his gun to the station.
“They won’t tell me and they won’t provide evidence,” Bond said. “Those kind of things happen in Russia. We’re in the United States of America. You’re innocent until proven guilty. So they’ve proven me guilty and not allowed me to see any evidence to prove myself otherwise.
“I’m not going to sit back and let them do this to me,” he added. “I’m going to go and play defense. Through my lawyers, I’ll go through the grievance process and if I’m not satisfied there, I will push further through the court system with defamation of character, because I believe it was done with malice.”
Bond remains a member of the board, though he said he has not been invited to attend any meetings since the suspension began. He is up for re-election, as his term on the board ends in January. According to Bond, only active DATV members who are in good standing are allowed to vote, and due to his current suspension, he said he is not in good standing.
Bond also requested to the board that his name be placed on the ballot, but he hasn’t received a response from the body. The 90-day suspension takes him beyond the election day.
“What I did was I sent out emails to all the members of Dracut Access TV and let them know my intention of running and also that I’m asking for the vote, and if they don’t see my name on the ballot to write it in,” Bond said. “They’re going to do everything they can — John Zimini, Phil Thibault, Tami Dristiliaris — to prevent me from being on the ballot.”
Bond claims the majority of problems started when he took over as board president in January. According to Bond, conflict developed with Thibault over Bond’s desire for construction upgrades at the studio. Bond also claimed Thibault was upset with Bond’s pursuit of an application for a loan through the Payroll Protection Plan.
Thibault called Bond’s claims that a conflict played a role in his removal as president “absolutely false.”
Bond’s unseating as board president isn’t the only change that has taken place recently at DATV.
Earlier this month Bond said he learned from an email that fellow board member Tami Dristiliaris was disqualified from her position on the board due to a family member who is employed by Comcast — a violation of the board’s bylaws.
In her email to the Sun, Bourbeau revealed the board voted to “strike an antiquated portion” of the DATV bylaws regarding disqualification of relatives of Comcast employees from service on the board. The Bylaws Subcommittee had previously voted unanimously to eliminate the rule.
As a result of the alteration, Dristiliaris was allowed to return to the board, filling the seat left vacant by a member who had recently resigned.
Bourbeau also announced DATV board member Betsy Murphy resigned from the board. According to Bourbeau, the School Committee will select Murphy’s replacement, as they were the body that appointed her to the position.
Follow Aaron Curtis on Twitter @aselahcurtis
"board" - Google News
September 28, 2020 at 07:51AM
https://ift.tt/3i8tCYe
Embattled DATV talk show host ousted as board president - Lowell Sun
"board" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2KWL1EQ
https://ift.tt/2YrjQdq
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Embattled DATV talk show host ousted as board president - Lowell Sun"
Post a Comment