Christians Strike Back

[Alkman]

Museum director can return to work, after commissioners' vote


The Associated Press


ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) — The suspended director of the Douglas County Museum has her job back, if she still wants it, after a monthslong fight that began with an uproar over a statue of a Greek goddess.
Last January, Douglas County Commissioners ordered Museum Director Stacy McLaughlin to suspend work on an exhibit dealing with a sculpture of Hebe, the Greek goddess of youth, that stood in the city nearly a century ago as a symbol of sobriety, after a handful of local residents called the statue an "anti-Christian" icon.
After a public outcry, commissioners reversed themselves, allowing the exhibit to proceed, but the episode put a strain on the relationship between McLaughlin and commission members.
McLaughlin was eventually suspended with pay, and later sent the county a letter claiming that she had been discriminated against based on her sex and religion, and threatening a lawsuit.
On Tuesday, after reviewing a 100-page report on museum operations, county commissioners voted 2-1 to reinstate McLaughlin, on the advice of county attorneys.
Ken Bemis, a Portland attorney who represents the county in labor disputes, told commissioners that while McLaughlin had in some case behaved "unacceptably" toward the commissioners, museum employees and others, her conduct did not warrant dismissal.
"It seems to be a vindication that she didn't do anything that made her deserve the treatment she received from the commissioners," Ron Sturtz, the chairman of the county's Museum Advisory Committee, told The News Review of Roseburg.
County officials notified McLaughlin's attorney, Martha Walters of Eugene, about the decision Tuesday afternoon, but it was not clear whether McLaughlin would accept the offer. If she does, she could be back on the job as early as next week.
The fight erupted after city boosters wanted to replace the statute originally installed by the Women's Christian Temperance Union as part of a fountain to encourage people drink wanter instead of alcohol. The Roseburg City Council had supported the project.




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