Half Hollow Hills library director Helen Crosson suspended with pay, draft minutes show

The Half Hollow Hills Community Library board has suspended its longtime library director, according to draft minutes that were posted to the library's website that have since been removed.

According to the draft minutes, the board suspended director Helen Crosson with pay Monday and asked for her resignation. The five-member board approved a resolution to “suspend indefinitely with pay" until such time Crosson resigns or is "otherwise terminated," the minutes showed. The library is in Dix Hills.

Library trustee Larry Bloomstein introduced the motion to approve a resolution asking Crosson to voluntarily submit her resignation by this Monday. The motion was seconded by Bruce Gordon, the board’s financial secretary, the minutes showed.

As of Friday morning, the draft minutes had been removed from the website. 

Crosson recently led the $24.7 million four-year renovation of the library Hills that reopened last year. According to LinkedIn, Crosson has been executive director of the library since 2015. She was paid a salary of $154,684 in 2022, the latest information available, according to the SeeThroughNY database compiled by the Empire Center for Public Policy, a conservative think tank in Albany.

The reason for Crosson's suspension is not clear. Neither is it clear why the board wants to terminate Crosson.

Crosson did not respond to requests for comment on Friday.

Board president Jacob Goldman and Gordon could not be reached for comment on Friday. Bloomstein did not respond to a request for comment.

Board vice president Maxine Cohen said she could not comment because it is a personnel matter.

A special board meeting will be held Monday at 6:30 p.m. The agenda calls for an executive session and for public correspondence and comments.