Oakland town manager terminated without cause

An anonymous letter was sent to the mayor regarding a hostile work environment, harassment and discrimination. The commission was prepared to allow him to resign, but he chose immediately termination.

By Amy Quesinberry Price
| 8:10 a.m. February 19, 2025

West Orange Times & Observer
News

The town of Oakland has terminated its town manager, Andy Stewart, after Mayor Shane Taylor received two letters addressing a hostile work environment, harassment and discrimination. One letter was written by “concerned town employees,” and the second letter was written by one employee.

Taylor brought up the issue at the Feb. 11 Oakland Town Commission meeting. He said after receiving the letters he held a meeting with Police Chief Darron Esan and Stewart, who was asked to resign. He verbally agreed, Taylor said.

“We accepted the resignation of the town manager,” Taylor said. “We discussed it today with him. He asked to resign; we accepted his resignation.”

At the commission meeting, the elected officials discussed a resignation letter Stewart was to sign and return to the town within 48 hours.

“In the event that he does not return that letter back in 48 hours, then I recommend we terminate at that point in time,” Taylor said. “The option to him to resign versus us terminating him, it’s to save face when he goes to get another job.”

“We’re being asked to agree on something without having all the information,” Commissioner Joseph McMullen said. “I’m sitting here hearing about it really fresh, and then I’m hearing we are to decide to terminate.”

“Personally, I would like us to move forward,” Commissioner Kris Keller said. “Based on what I’ve been informed of, I’m ready to move forward.”

“I would not have brought this forward if I didn’t think this was a very valid issue,” Taylor said.

The commission voted, with McMullen dissenting and Sal Ramos absent, to accept Stewart’s resignation letter and give him 48 hours to submit it before proceeding with his termination.

However, later in the evening, Taylor received a text message from Stewart: “I feel at this point I prefer the commission terminate me without cause.”

A new vote then called for Stewart’s termination and was passed unanimously.

Stewart started his position as Oakland town manager May 26, 2023. Prior to coming to West Orange County, he was town manager for Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, for six years. The town of Oakland hired an executive recruitment firm to help locate a new town manager after Steve Koontz retired in April 2023. Jack Butler was serving as interim manager following Koontz’s departure but was terminated without cause May 9, and then-Town Clerk Elise Hui filled the interim manager role until a permanent manager was hired.

Hui, who recently was promoted to assistant town manager, will again fill the role until a permanent manager is named.

IN OTHER BUSINESS

• The Oakland Town Commission was introduced to Lou Lambros, the town’s new community outreach director and public information officer.

• Police Chief Darron Esan recognized multiple members of the Oakland Police Department: Officers Samaria Lake, James Hayes, Kyle Thompson, Reynalis Rojas and Shawn Dozier;

corporals Justin Gau and Roger Fisher; Sgt. Barry Strykowski; Lt. Rene Castro; Deputy Chief Mike Bryant; Executive Assistant Stacie Quinn; and Administrative Assistant Kelly Sims.

• Commissioners approved the consent agenda, which included the school calendar for Oakland Avenue Charter School and a memorandum of understanding for the St. Cloud Police Department.

• Mayor Shane Taylor announced he has been working on a plan to get a cellular tower in Oakland.

“The cell tower company has done a heat study map, and, basically, Oakland is a dead zone,” he said. “Everything points out to (Highway) 50, and as the day goes on, as you get a lot of traffic, the signal gets worse. We’re looking at locations to put that in there, and we want to put it on town property. … There’s a revenue to the town to put it on town property.”

LETTER TO MAYOR SHANE TAYLOR

Dear Mayor Taylor,

We hope this letter finds you well. We are writing to express our grave concerns regarding the continuing employment of Town Manager Andy Stewart. There have been numerous incidents over the past few months that have raised serious concerns among the Town's employees. If left unaddressed, these issues may result in a hostile work environment, harassment, and discrimination filings against the Town Manager. These matters not only affect the morale and safety of the town's workforce but also undermine the integrity of the Town's operations and leadership.

On August 28 and 29, 2024, during a Directors' meeting at the Meeting Hall, our Finance Director questioned a budget item, and Andy's reaction was alarming. He became visibly upset and refused to engage in any constructive conversation about the issue at hand. Despite efforts from the Police Chief, Human Resources, and the Assistant Town Manager to de-escalate the situation, Andy remained uncooperative and dismissive.

Later, Andy openly stated, "I hired all of you" and implied that he had the authority to dismiss any of us at his discretion. His words indicated an intent to create a work atmosphere dominated by fear and intimidation, implying that we had no protection under his leadership. It was made abundantly clear that his approach was the only one that mattered, as he further emphasized his position as Town Manager. The next day, he continued to assert that his word was final, and that the directors were to handle their departments but had no right to question his decisions.

Additionally, in September2024, Gaby Leon, Jessica Lovejoy and Melody Oliver were asked to Andy's office where they were told they were creating a "hostile work environment" for him. This accusation arose as a result of them attempting to discuss or question matters pertaining to their departments or the treatment of other employees. It is troubling that these efforts to communicate and clarify were framed as problematic behavior, further highlighting a pattern of retaliation against employees who raise legitimate concerns.

On November 25, 2024. Gaby Leon was in her office when Andy arrived and requested that she contact Orange County concerning OCR's increase and the proposed payment plan. When Gaby questioned the need for this request, given that the Town Commission had just voted to raise the Town Millage, cut budget items, and change Town Benefits to accommodate this increase, Andy became exceedingly agitated. Gaby explained that fi the call to OC was necessary, it should be initiated by either the Mayor or Andy himself, as the letter had been addressed to the Mayor, and negotiations should be made by one of them, not the Finance Director. In response, Andy became so heated that Elise Hui tried to intervene to help calm the situation. Andy refused to stop the conversation. His behavior was not only unprofessional, but it also left Gaby feeling trapped and unsafe in her own office, as she was sitting behind her desk, and Andy was standing in the path to her exit.

On January 9, 2025, Andy sent out an email to al Directors informing them that, effective immediately, they would report directly to the Town Manager and would no longer report to Elise. This decision was made without any prior communication with Elise, who had made multiple attempts to reach out to Andy via email, phone calls, and text messages to discuss the matter--yet all went unanswered. When Human Resources met with Andy the following Monday to address this issue, Andy responded dismissively, stating, "Frankly, because I can, and it's what I'm doing, and I no longer want to discuss this." He justified his actions by claiming that he felt "out of the loop" and not informed about important issues. However, Elise has consistently made efforts to include Andy in emails, approached him in his office to discuss matters, and instructed her department heads to involve Andy when necessary.

On January 15, 2025, Michael Parker was asked to meet with members of management and Andy to discuss his retirement and the next steps for Nathan Brown's training and responsibilities. During this meeting, Andy repeatedly told Parker that he needed to submit his letter of resignation, or else steps toward termination would be discussed. He also informed Parker that he didn't feel it would be beneficial for Parker to stay on as a Grant Writer for the Town and finish the major projects he had started before fully leaving. Andy even suggested that a part-time position would and then wouldn't be a good fit for the Town or Parker. This inconsistency shows a lack of decisiveness and respect in his communication with employees. Most concerning of all, this conversation took place while the employee replacing Parker was sitting in the room. Such behavior undermines employee dignity and creates an environment of intimidation and mistrust.

Additionally, it has been reported that Andy has made several troubling comments regarding the gender composition of the Town's workforce. On multiple occasions, he has stated that the Town has "too many female employees." These comments are deeply inappropriate, discriminatory, and demonstrate a disregard for fostering a diverse, respectful, and inclusive workplace.

Furthermore, supervisors and Directors of hourly employees have repeatedly expressed concerns regarding a lack of clarity, communication, respect, and responsiveness When dealing with Andy. Employees have reported that when Andy addresses them, they are expected to be attentive and respectful, as we all should be. However, when it is time for employees to address him on matters, Andy often ignores them, looking at the floor, scrolling through emails, or checking social media on his phone or computer. This lack of engagement not only comes across as disrespectful, but it also undermines morale and productivity.

In addition to these ongoing issues, multiple employees have expressed that they are actively seeking positions outside of the Town of Oakland due to the current work environment. The continuous stress, lack of support, and toxic leadership have driven many to look for more stable and respectful opportunities elsewhere, which only exacerbates the growing problem.

These incidents, among many others, point to a toxic environment under Andy's leadership, one in which intimidation, harassment, and retaliation are used to suppress dissent and maintain control. The continual disregard for employees' concerns, refusal to allow open dialogue, and hostile behavior exhibited by Andy are of significant concern. If this behavior continues, we fear it will not only lead to a further deterioration of the workplace and added stress on the remaining few but also result in legal consequences for the Town and its leadership.

The Town of Oakland has long been regarded as a "gem in Florida," with employees and residents proud to work and live here. However, given the ongoing issues and toxic environment under Andy's leadership, it begs the question: Are we truly fortunate to work in such a place under these conditions?

As Mayor, you and your fellow commissioners have a responsibility to ensure that the Town provides a safe, respectful and professional environment for all employees. We, the employees, urge you to thoroughly investigate these concerns and take appropriate action to address the toxic work environment created by our Town Manager. Failing to act will signal to employees that this type of behavior is acceptable, which could result in a loss of trust and morale.

We are hopeful that you will take these concerns seriously and prioritize the well-being of the Town's employees and the health of the workplace.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to your prompt response and to seeing the necessary steps taken to address these serious issues.

Sincerely,

Your Concerned Town Employees

author

Amy Quesinberry Price

Community Editor Amy Quesinberry Price was born at the old West Orange Memorial Hospital and raised in Winter Garden. Aside from earning her journalism degree from the University of Georgia, she hasn’t strayed too far from her hometown and her three-mile bubble. She grew up reading The Winter Garden Times and knew in the eighth grade she wanted to write for her community newspaper. She has been part of the writing and editing team since 1990.