DATE: Saturday, September 27, 1997          TAG: 9709270425

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B7   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MATTHEW DOLAN, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   31 lines

HOUSING BOARD, LACKING QUORUM, FAILS TO MEET

The housing authority's board of commissioners was unable to gather a quorum Friday night for a scheduled special meeting to discuss a possible severance package for the agency's ousted executive director.

Four of the nine commissioners showed up for the 6 p.m. special meeting, but they needed five for a meeting to take place.

All of the commissioners who were absent voted to fire Douglas Falkner late Monday night. The commissioners are Marjorie A. Arrington, Althea W. Gallop, Charles F. Sanford III, Helen L. Spruill and Robert L. Samuel Jr.

The commissioners who attended - Chairman Roland L. Thornton, John A. Burke, Elmer L. Jackson and John E. Hayslett - all voted against Falkner's termination.

It was unclear Fridaywhether the commissioners stayed away from the meeting because of other commitments or a boycott. In an interview Thursday night, Samuel said he would be in New York and unable to attend the meeting.

Falkner, who has acknowledged that his hard-charging management style may have driven his employees too far, said he believes his firing was a result of several factors, including allegations of sexual harassment and financial mismanagement, all of which he denied. He served six months as executive director.

Falkner said he was fired improperly and intends to hire a lawyer to sue the authority.

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