"For cause" can mean a lot of things - everything from getting drunk and plowing in to a crowd to embezzling money, to simply holding consistently different opinions than the rest of the board and continually voicing them. We won't know much more until the board statement (although, again, I'm surprised comms weren't pre-prepped,) but this is a really surprising situation, and I really hope the board makes a clear statement that justifies the removal beyond a shadow of a doubt.
On Wednesday, December 30, 2015, Robert Rohde <[email protected]> wrote: > Jimbo, on his talk page, says this was a removal "for cause", and that he > expects the whole Board will provide a further statement. > > -Robert Rohde > > On Thu, Dec 31, 2015 at 12:03 AM, Kevin Gorman <[email protected] > <javascript:;>> wrote: > > > As far as I can tell, no one alleges Doc James did anything wrong - if > > there were serious allegations of wrongdoing then, for one thing, I have > > trouble seeing Dariusz as having supported James staying on the board. > The > > board *can* remove members for any reason, but if you're removing one > > member elected - and generally quite trusted - from the board, and that > > removal is opposed by *another* community elected board member, there > > better be a damned good reason behind it - board *can* ignore the will of > > two of the three directly elected trustees, but doing so without a damn > > good reason is a significant error. To be honest, since the motion to > > remove James was clearly prepared in advance, I'm pretty surprising that > > board didn't ask WMF comms for help preparig to deal with the fall-out. > > I've been told by multiple sets of people that this doesn't involve > > allegations of wrongdoing against James - but if it does, that needs to > be > > quickly communicated, as James holds multiple other positions of trust in > > the Wikimedia movement. And if doesn't involve allegations of wrongdoing > > by James... well to be honest, I have a hard time seeing a situation > where > > the removal of James (a community elected trustee) which was opposed by > > Dariusz (another community elected trustee) is reasonably justifiable. > > Without more details about the situation, it really reads like a board > out > > of touch with the community it is intended to serve. > > > > Unless an extraordinarily good reason is produced (like James regularly > > shouting things Cluebot would censor in the middle of meetings,) I would > > hope that the board would consider reinstating James... and spending the > > time to learn how to work with with a respected and accomplished > > Wikipedian. Doc James is one of the most active contributors to > > Wikiproject Medicine, is a long time former president of Wikimedia Canada > > and the Wiki Project Med Foundation, and has done a ton of other > > wiki-stuff. It's hard to see him as a detriment to the WMF board, and > it's > > concerning that the first time the WMF board has ever felt the need to > > remove a member it was a member as awesome a human being and Wikimedian > as > > James. > > > > Best, > > KG > > -sent from mobile. > > > > > > On Wed, Dec 30, 2015 at 2:23 PM, Nathan <[email protected] > <javascript:;>> wrote: > > > > > On Wed, Dec 30, 2015 at 3:25 PM, olatunde isaac < > > [email protected] <javascript:;>> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > I'm very disappointed to know that the board meeting was still > ongoing > > as > > > > at the time James revealed that he was ejected from the board. It is > a > > > > silly idea! Perhaps he felt the community can stop the meeting or > > > override > > > > the decision of the board of trustee. The WMF BoT is not a parliament > > > where > > > > the house do not have the veto power to remove an elected member. > > > > Section 7 (remover) of the WMF's bylaws clearly stipulated that > > > > “Any Trustee may be removed, with or without cause, by a majority > vote > > of > > > > the Trustees then in office in accordance with the procedures set > forth > > > in > > > > Section 617.0808(1), or other relevant provisions of the Act”. Based > on > > > > this bylaw, James remover is justified! > > > > I understand that majority of the community members who elected James > > are > > > > likely not to be aware of this provisions but James is aware of it > and > > > will > > > > probably have an answer to (1) the reason for his remover (2) why his > > > > remover was supported by eight members and (3) why the third > > > > community-elected trustee, Denny Vrandečić, lost confidence supported > > his > > > > removal. > > > > The fact that James never stated the reasons why he was ejected from > > the > > > > board as at the time he disclosed his remover is worrisome. > > > > James, I'm sorry if I'm too factual here. > > > > > > > > Best, > > > > > > > > Olatunde Isaac. > > > > Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN > > > > > > > > > > > He didn't use his phone to mail to the list while sitting in a > meeting... > > > He was dismissed from the board and then ejected from the board > meeting. > > > After he left the room as ordered, he posted the notification. We don't > > > know all the precise circumstances, but I couldn't guarantee I wouldn't > > > have done the same in his place. > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > > New messages to: [email protected] <javascript:;> > > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > > <mailto:[email protected] <javascript:;> > ?subject=unsubscribe> > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > New messages to: [email protected] <javascript:;> > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > <mailto:[email protected] <javascript:;> > ?subject=unsubscribe> > > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > New messages to: [email protected] <javascript:;> > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > <mailto:[email protected] <javascript:;> > ?subject=unsubscribe> _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines New messages to: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe>
