A Conversation with Earl Shero...
By Jim Mills, Editor
(In a three hour interview with Grove area resident Earl Shero, we discovered he is dead serious about pursuing what he feels are serious injustices done to others by Grove City Government. In this interview he talks about what went wrong, how to make Grove a better city, and how he seeks justice)
Earl Shero is a lifelong Oklahoman, having grown up in southeastern Oklahoma near Wilburton. He attended OSU and married his college sweetheart, Cindy, and has lived in Grove and the area since 1982. His wife taught school here for 24 years. A couple of years ago he built a new home just outside the city limits off Lake Road 6.
He spent 10 years at Grand Savings Bank and previous to that, six years with Green Country Savings and Loan, as well as teaching in the Grove School System.
He is on a mission…to right the wrongs of what he feels are injustices made by some City leaders. His nearly three year crusade has cost him his bank job plus accusations of being a trouble maker for city government.
Shero currently has a Federal lawsuit for $1.5 million pending against the City for violation of his constitutional rights, coming for trial in April 2006; and a suit against Grand Savings Bank for firing him, now before the Oklahoma Supreme Court. This suit asks whether or not an employer can terminate an employee for seeking information and asking questions of his or her government. It was dismissed in District Court last March but the Oklahoma Supreme Court took the case, bypassing the usual Court of Appeals.
He has already won $27,949 in attorney fees in connection with a lawsuit against the Grove City Council for filing a protective order against him.
"My attorney got every cent of the nearly $28,000 and I did not receive a penny," Shero says.
Shero's critics say that he is a front man for former State Senator Rick Littlefield, who failed to get the job for which Bill Galletly was hired, City Manager, and that Littlefield continues to push Shero's buttons to oust Galletly.
Shero adamantly denies this influence. "Zero, None."
"I have not seen or talked with Rick Littlefield in two or three years, at least," he said.
"Was I originally for hiring Rick Littlefield?"
"Yes, but I had friends on the Council that voted for Bill Galletly and the decision was made and done, I agreed with the decision and it was over with," Shero related.
After Galletly's hiring, things calmed down for about six months without any problems, he said. Former city attorney Gary Mallow's contract was not renewed and in August 2003 they hired Dorothy Parker as his replacement.
Then, the trouble started, Shero says.
In January 2003 Shero says, one month after Galletly was hired, Duane Brown, longtime city employee and friend of Shero's, was "alleged on the front page of the Grove Sun Daily to have committed criminal misconduct and was fired by Galletly," Shero says.
In those days, the city had two policies; one in which the city would lay asphalt and the developer would pay for the product, the asphalt; the other was that GMSA employees would work on weekends on their own time in laying gas lines for developers, but use the city's hand welding machine.
"When Galletly came on board he said using city equipment on private operations was wrong and shortly after he fired Brown and an article appeared in the newspaper accusing him of criminal misconduct, which hurt Brown's reputation.
"I went on the local radio station and urged people to come to the council meeting to protest, and 200-300 showed up. Brown was re-hired by the city but spent six months basically just driving around in a truck, with no authority," Shero said. (Brown is now with the city of Jay).
"In September 2003 Parker and Galletly went on the front page of the Grove Sun Daily alleging trustee embezzlement by Frank Hallacy, developer of Cedar Oaks. Allegations were made to the District Attorney who said he would need a Police Report. It was eventually filed by Parker. And Parker's packet, 15 pages of it, was all over the front page of the newspaper."
"I went to the City Clerk and requested a copy of the press release and investigation--there was no press release, but she did prepare one after the fact," Shero alleges.
"The D.A. requested an investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) which produced a 160 page document resulting in the charges being unfounded, except for finding violations of the Open Meeting Act by the Grove Municipal Airport Trust Authority.
"At that point I began to ask for Council Meeting Packets and did receive them. But in late December or early January the City Attorney (Dorothy Parker) denied them on grounds that they were not public records. (Packets are prepared for the Council several days prior to the actual meeting with backup information on agenda items)
"I had also asked for Parker's resume," Shero continued, "and on Jan. 6 I told the council of the packet denials and violations of the Open Meeting Act re selling the civic center."
"On Jan. 30, 2004 I went to Bill Reppart's office, my attorney and a partner with former City Attorney Gary Mallow, and typed my request for a Packet, which was denied on advice of the city attorney. Parker then filed for a protective order against Shero which was dismissed by District Judge Denny. Shero countersued and won attorney fees of $27,949 and that case ended in June 2004.
"Then came the Gary Metcalf issue," Shero said. "He was accused of child pornography, embezzlement and theft and was fired by Galletly, even though the Grove Police found that charges were not warranted," Shero says. Metcalf, who was Grove's Emergency Management Director, has filed suit in Federal Court against the city which will be heard in February, 2006, Shero says. Metcalf now holds a similar position with Delaware County Emergency Management.
After 10 years at Grand Savings Bank as a loan officer, Shero was fired in February 2004.
"Families of the council were coming to the bank complaining about me," Shero says.
I was urged to drop my countersuit against the city for attorney fees, but I could not do it.
It was important to me," he says.
He later sued the bank for firing him, which was dismissed in District Court in March 2005, but the Oklahoma Supreme Court took the case and an opinion is due out in about two months, Shero says. They could return the case to District Court for hearing.
In yet another civil action filed this year Shero charged that destroying tape recordings of city council meetings once minutes were typed was a violation of the Open Records Act and tapes should be kept as a public record. After that filing Council voted to keep the tapes for five years rather than re-use them once minutes were typed. This suit is still pending in District Court and Shero is seeking $30,000 in attorney fees.
How does an ordinary citizen come up with the funds to finance all of these lawsuits?
"The Federal suits are on a contingency basis; the others have had to come out of my pocket," Shero says. He adds that he realizes that the City has had to come up with some money for their attorneys and dislikes the fact that taxpayers may have to fund some of it.
Shero makes no secret about it. He says City Manager Bill Galletly screwed up a golden opportunity to be a good city manager. He is upset over Galletly's treatment of former city employees and Shero himself.
"There has been a fundamental trampling of people's rights. We have a great community in Grove and we need to address divisive issues, unite the council, obey the laws regarding Open Meetings, hire a competent city attorney, and gain a sense of respect for each other's point of view and integrity," Shero says.
"We managed to get through difficult issues in the past without referring to people as embezzlers, child pornographers, name calling and lawsuits," he adds.
"For Grove to move forward there is going to have to be a sense of respect for each other, and discussion of the allegations against Bill Galletly. Is this the kind of person we want to continue to lead the city?"
"We are close to being a really good city but we need to close ranks and get the train back on the track. We need to stop the disputes," Shero says.
(In a three hour interview with Grove area resident Earl Shero, we discovered he is dead serious about pursuing what he feels are serious injustices done to others by Grove City Government. In this interview he talks about what went wrong, how to make Grove a better city, and how he seeks justice)
Earl Shero is a lifelong Oklahoman, having grown up in southeastern Oklahoma near Wilburton. He attended OSU and married his college sweetheart, Cindy, and has lived in Grove and the area since 1982. His wife taught school here for 24 years. A couple of years ago he built a new home just outside the city limits off Lake Road 6.
He spent 10 years at Grand Savings Bank and previous to that, six years with Green Country Savings and Loan, as well as teaching in the Grove School System.
He is on a mission…to right the wrongs of what he feels are injustices made by some City leaders. His nearly three year crusade has cost him his bank job plus accusations of being a trouble maker for city government.
Shero currently has a Federal lawsuit for $1.5 million pending against the City for violation of his constitutional rights, coming for trial in April 2006; and a suit against Grand Savings Bank for firing him, now before the Oklahoma Supreme Court. This suit asks whether or not an employer can terminate an employee for seeking information and asking questions of his or her government. It was dismissed in District Court last March but the Oklahoma Supreme Court took the case, bypassing the usual Court of Appeals.
He has already won $27,949 in attorney fees in connection with a lawsuit against the Grove City Council for filing a protective order against him.
"My attorney got every cent of the nearly $28,000 and I did not receive a penny," Shero says.
Shero's critics say that he is a front man for former State Senator Rick Littlefield, who failed to get the job for which Bill Galletly was hired, City Manager, and that Littlefield continues to push Shero's buttons to oust Galletly.
Shero adamantly denies this influence. "Zero, None."
"I have not seen or talked with Rick Littlefield in two or three years, at least," he said.
"Was I originally for hiring Rick Littlefield?"
"Yes, but I had friends on the Council that voted for Bill Galletly and the decision was made and done, I agreed with the decision and it was over with," Shero related.
After Galletly's hiring, things calmed down for about six months without any problems, he said. Former city attorney Gary Mallow's contract was not renewed and in August 2003 they hired Dorothy Parker as his replacement.
Then, the trouble started, Shero says.
In January 2003 Shero says, one month after Galletly was hired, Duane Brown, longtime city employee and friend of Shero's, was "alleged on the front page of the Grove Sun Daily to have committed criminal misconduct and was fired by Galletly," Shero says.
In those days, the city had two policies; one in which the city would lay asphalt and the developer would pay for the product, the asphalt; the other was that GMSA employees would work on weekends on their own time in laying gas lines for developers, but use the city's hand welding machine.
"When Galletly came on board he said using city equipment on private operations was wrong and shortly after he fired Brown and an article appeared in the newspaper accusing him of criminal misconduct, which hurt Brown's reputation.
"I went on the local radio station and urged people to come to the council meeting to protest, and 200-300 showed up. Brown was re-hired by the city but spent six months basically just driving around in a truck, with no authority," Shero said. (Brown is now with the city of Jay).
"In September 2003 Parker and Galletly went on the front page of the Grove Sun Daily alleging trustee embezzlement by Frank Hallacy, developer of Cedar Oaks. Allegations were made to the District Attorney who said he would need a Police Report. It was eventually filed by Parker. And Parker's packet, 15 pages of it, was all over the front page of the newspaper."
"I went to the City Clerk and requested a copy of the press release and investigation--there was no press release, but she did prepare one after the fact," Shero alleges.
"The D.A. requested an investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) which produced a 160 page document resulting in the charges being unfounded, except for finding violations of the Open Meeting Act by the Grove Municipal Airport Trust Authority.
"At that point I began to ask for Council Meeting Packets and did receive them. But in late December or early January the City Attorney (Dorothy Parker) denied them on grounds that they were not public records. (Packets are prepared for the Council several days prior to the actual meeting with backup information on agenda items)
"I had also asked for Parker's resume," Shero continued, "and on Jan. 6 I told the council of the packet denials and violations of the Open Meeting Act re selling the civic center."
"On Jan. 30, 2004 I went to Bill Reppart's office, my attorney and a partner with former City Attorney Gary Mallow, and typed my request for a Packet, which was denied on advice of the city attorney. Parker then filed for a protective order against Shero which was dismissed by District Judge Denny. Shero countersued and won attorney fees of $27,949 and that case ended in June 2004.
"Then came the Gary Metcalf issue," Shero said. "He was accused of child pornography, embezzlement and theft and was fired by Galletly, even though the Grove Police found that charges were not warranted," Shero says. Metcalf, who was Grove's Emergency Management Director, has filed suit in Federal Court against the city which will be heard in February, 2006, Shero says. Metcalf now holds a similar position with Delaware County Emergency Management.
After 10 years at Grand Savings Bank as a loan officer, Shero was fired in February 2004.
"Families of the council were coming to the bank complaining about me," Shero says.
I was urged to drop my countersuit against the city for attorney fees, but I could not do it.
It was important to me," he says.
He later sued the bank for firing him, which was dismissed in District Court in March 2005, but the Oklahoma Supreme Court took the case and an opinion is due out in about two months, Shero says. They could return the case to District Court for hearing.
In yet another civil action filed this year Shero charged that destroying tape recordings of city council meetings once minutes were typed was a violation of the Open Records Act and tapes should be kept as a public record. After that filing Council voted to keep the tapes for five years rather than re-use them once minutes were typed. This suit is still pending in District Court and Shero is seeking $30,000 in attorney fees.
How does an ordinary citizen come up with the funds to finance all of these lawsuits?
"The Federal suits are on a contingency basis; the others have had to come out of my pocket," Shero says. He adds that he realizes that the City has had to come up with some money for their attorneys and dislikes the fact that taxpayers may have to fund some of it.
Shero makes no secret about it. He says City Manager Bill Galletly screwed up a golden opportunity to be a good city manager. He is upset over Galletly's treatment of former city employees and Shero himself.
"There has been a fundamental trampling of people's rights. We have a great community in Grove and we need to address divisive issues, unite the council, obey the laws regarding Open Meetings, hire a competent city attorney, and gain a sense of respect for each other's point of view and integrity," Shero says.
"We managed to get through difficult issues in the past without referring to people as embezzlers, child pornographers, name calling and lawsuits," he adds.
"For Grove to move forward there is going to have to be a sense of respect for each other, and discussion of the allegations against Bill Galletly. Is this the kind of person we want to continue to lead the city?"
"We are close to being a really good city but we need to close ranks and get the train back on the track. We need to stop the disputes," Shero says.
posted by Editor | 2:06 AM
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