The Duque Papers -5

We continue with restating a 2023 document showing where the LNC was a year and a half ago.  The document is due to Miguel Duque and his wife.

• The Special Meeting May 16, 2023
  
• In May of 2023, things came to a head when Lainie gave a long and detailed complaint to the LNC about the EPCC’s mismanagement, staff issues, and Steven Nekhaila’s actions as chair.
• Caryn Ann on the private list attacked Lainie’s character for reporting her concerns and insisted the entire complaint itself was inappropriate.
• Angela sent a 7-page confidential memo to the LNC titled “Chair’s Assessment of LNC May 2023” detailing a lot of what we summarize here.
• Though a few members reached out to Lainie privately in support, the LNC never took up a discussion with her or engaged with her on her complaint as a body. They allowed Steven Nekhaila to call a meeting specifically when Lainie was unable to attend, and speak at his leisure essentially calling her and Angela liars.
• Just before that emergency meeting:
• Angela to Miguel: “The LNC v staff culture is a real problem. I’ve had multiple convos with Caryn Ann about how Lainie is treated like a 2^nd class citizen due to RONR and procedure. I hit a brick wall every time. It’s frustrating to not be able to include her in confidential threads like I would an officer.” Miguel: “You can just start doing it. CAH is actually fairly easily shut down and steamrolled.” (Angela did not start doing it.)
• Angela: “Steven’s behavior was so wrong. Dustin has been wrong too, but Steven was over the top. I can’t imagine what Steven thinks he can say that will be damning or bad. It’s got to be the opposite.”
• During the meeting:
• Angela: “[Steven] admitted to usurping her.” Then “we’re gonna get drowned out here. This is going badly.”
• After that meeting, Carrie Eiler quit the LNC in disgust because no one was doing anything about it. No one has done anything about it since; the LNC is pretty much pretending Lainie’s letter never happened.
• At this time Miguel wanted to make a motion to at least pause the EPCC, which was proposed by Nekhaila in a confidential thread prior the the meeting, until things could get sorted out. Not a single person would even cosponsor it.
• o Angela to Miguel: “We don’t have the votes. I can’t cosponsor that right now and further lose the board. In the meantime, I’m keeping total separation between them and Lainie.” Miguel: “You could sponsor and abstain.” Angela: “I don’t think it is the right move right now. I would rather do that from a position of strength.” Then “I’m not backing down. I’m moving completely around EPCC for now … I’m working on discrediting their policies and Lainie is getting HR this week. And I’m just not going to use their policies.” Miguel: “Remember you told me to be ready to go to war.” Angela said “You’ve alienated a lot of people and I don’t have enough allies right now.”

• Caryn Ann attacked Miguel on confidentiality for simply mentioning that this motion was Nekhaila’s idea in the first place (because it was said on the private list).
• Steven Nekhaila has since perpetuated the narrative on the LNC that Lainie is the reason that everything is going wrong. Instead of seriously evaluating the EPCC, Nekhaila’s role as chair, and his presiding over total breakdown of the XD/board relationship, the LNC (and now Angela and Kathy) has adopted this narrative of blaming Lainie.
• What they have done with this is create a situation where no one could possibly meaningfully criticize the over-politicized EPCC, who has assumed vast power over staff management.
• Steven Nekhaila likely wants to run for chair next year against Angela, so it’s in his best interest to undermine her and elevate himself. In fact, he has said in the past that he wants to run for chair. He also greatly admires Machiavelli. (It sounds like a punchline, but it’s not.) Do you want this person as chair?