Editorial on the
"Lana Sullivan threatens to sue city, county" story in the Salem Leader


    I would like to clean up some bad rumors that have been running around concerning Lana Sullivan's claim of sexual harassment and discrimination, our local government officials and IndianaProud.com.

    I want to say up front that I appreciate Lana Sullivan's skills and intelligence. I like Lana as a person and I hope that what I am about to say will not be taken the wrong way. But these rumors do need to be cleared up.

    I want to put this on the table, too. I have been attending government meetings for close to six years now. I personally know the people involved in this situation and their history. I have no problem pointing out things that aren't quite right in the government. I have a Bachelor's degree from IU Bloomington where I studied how language is used to control or abuse (including sexual harassment). I have over 20 years of business experience. Very few people may actually know this, but I am a girl, too.

    So please, take all of my experience into consideration when I make these next statements.

    Our local government officials neither said nor did anything inappropriate in the meetings concerning Lana Sullivan.

    Please keep in mind, we still have not seen any real results from all the money that we have spent with the Partnership - before, during or after Ms. Sullivan's participation in that position. The concerns our local officials had about Ms. Sullivan being in this $55,000 position as Economic Director had nothing to do with her being a woman. Their concerns had everything to do with her not meeting the educational nor experience standards that the Partnership itself put forward. She simply was not professionally qualified to hold that position. The $30,000 salary (with the opportunity for huge bonuses if she brought anything in to the county) that they suggested would have been much more reflective of Ms. Sullivan's professional qualifications.

    I have personally re-watched the videos again. I am sorry to say that Attorney Dalrymple was wrong in his statement that Wally Terkhorn made inappropriate comments about Ms. Sullivan. It just isn't true. It was wrong (and really not appreciated) for Mr. Dalrymple to use the credibility of IndianaProud.com to try to support his misleading statement. The Economic Summit video up on IndianaProud.com proves it.

    If Mayor David Bower, Commissioner John D. Fultz, Commissioner John Mishler and Councilman Dr. Mark Manship were working to lower Ms. Sullivan's salary - it was not because she was a woman. Once again, what I got from the meetings and what is on video is that Ms. Sullivan was not professionally qualified to hold that $55,000 (plus benefits) position according to the Partnership's own hiring criteria.

    It is my personal opinion that our local officials tried to save the Partnership and Ms. Sullivan's job.
What has happened since only proves the old saying "no good deed will go unpunished".

    I would encourage you to watch the video up on IndianaProud.com for yourself so that you can make your own decision. The video is there so that all may participate.

Respectfully,
Rhonda Greene