The letter that Sonya Dixon, Bayard librarian, submitted to every one of the Bayard council members and Clerk/Treasurer Martha Salas on June 27, 2024, is attached at the bottom of the page.

Before the letter are her comments about what she experienced during the June 24th regular Bayard Council meeting:

Conveniently, there seems to be no recording of the events that took place once I exited the building. I was barred from returning inside by the police chief. I was told by Mayor Ojinaga that I would not have access to my file cabinet, folders or documents inside of the library. I left and came back with my keys. I didn't need them, it seemed, and needed them off of my person lest I be accused of something.

The hostility towards me in their chambers was evident. I did not like their line of questioning as it did not pertain to moving forward with a plan other than to tell me I would be reporting to city hall at 8am (I have obligations in the morning until 9am that were never considered) and that I would not be allowed my files, pending work, files in cabinet; no library work to complete operations as a librarian for which I was hired, but to "work on some grants." For what? Grants are date and time sensitive; what am I going to write for or about? I have or had, all the grant money we needed to complete the park project. Their grant writer and my 20-hour assistant resigned 5 or so weeks prior. I was not offered that position.

I was denied a place on the agenda for their June 20, 2024 meeting that I had to find out about in the paper. I have that letter to offer the paper as well that I submitted to Mrs. Salas and council! I even wrote what I would like to say and that was a thank you. No response at all.

The City has ghosted me since June 13, 2024. Set up a meeting with me on June 21st at 9am and they did not show up. A female inside the building waved a bagel in my face and told me to "sit, wait and fill these out." These being worker's compensation forms. I felt coerced and treated like a dog.

I left. I do not have a worker's comp case.

I have been treated unprofessionally at every turn. I felt threatened on June 24th in that room with the mayor yelling at me demanding to call them MY Governing BODY, Mrs. Salas telling me I must report to work at a time that is not in keeping with my personal obligations to my family, and Mr. Medina accusing me of not being "friends" with Kristina Ortiz who quit it 2022, btw, and who was never transparent with the library community about our funding. It took my 10th year of service to receive a spreadsheet of our donor funds, at least most of them. That, from Clerk Martha Salas.

So below is my letter to them on the day that I was apprised by community members who remained in the room, after I fled the chamber room, that Frances Gonzales made a motion to terminate me and Eloy Medina seconded the motion and all vote in favor.

I voiced a concern, a grievance if you will with regards to bringing a new assistant into those working conditions as she would have to spend the majority of her time in that room that was hot, smelled and had plaster exploding off the walls. I have been punished ever since and terminated for expressing concerns over the health and well being of all of us who entered there.

Thank you,
Sonya Dixon

June 27, 2024

Dear City of Bayard Governing Body,

I am writing to you today to follow up, briefly, after our meeting
on Monday, June 24, 2024. I had hoped that you would
have reached out to me by now.

As a long-time, loyal, employee of the City
of Bayard, with an impeccable employment
record and whose accomplishments speak
for themselves, I was looking forward to
working with the current administration to
cure the ailments that plague the physical
structure of the Bayard Library. The
previous administration's response to my
pleas were not taken seriously, it seemed.

I attended the council meeting on Monday,
June 24, 2024, with the hope that it would
be productive and that we could reopen the
library in the near future since the
community relies so heavily on the services
that we provide. I was shocked at the
hostile and aggressive demeanor of the
council in its entirety. Judging by the types of
accusations made toward me, it was clear
that other agendas were at play.

Under duress and imminent threat of
menace, I departed the meeting and then was
prohibited from re-joining the meeting by
the chief of police.

I heard through sources, that I believe to be
credible, that a motion to terminate my
employment was put forth and approved by
the council. Personally, I think it is a shame
that an employee who has done so much to
help the City of Bayard can be dismissed
summarily because of personal grudges,
perceived grievances, and unsubstantiated
hearsay. It is not right, and I believe that
others will agree.

Respectfully,
Sonya Dixon