Grand Haven, MI (WGHN) – The following is a statement from Ottawa County Commissioner Chris Klienjans regarding his firing from MSU Extension. Original story here.
“On Friday, June 21, Chris Kleinjans, filed a lawsuit against MSU Extension with the primary goal of being reinstated to his position, but seeking compensation if he is not. Kleinjans was fired by MSU after he was elected as county commissioner in the Ottawa County District 2 special recall election. MSU cited the Incompatible Public Offices Act 566 of 1978. Kleinjans’ statement follows:
My wife, Sarah, and I want to thank all the people in the 2nd District as well as those across the county and state who have written, posted or approached us to express their disappointment regarding my forced separation from MSU Extension, as well as their support for me.
It’s difficult to be removed from the people that I have spent over a decade working with. Through the programs I created, managed or taught, I had the honor of helping improve lives, policies and systems, and I had hoped to continue in that role until I retired. In particular, I will miss the adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities throughout the county whom I spent so much time with, along with the men in treatment whom I served.
Working to instill a little fire and knowledge into people to help them chart their own course has been the lynchpin of my nonprofit work throughout my career, and nutrition happened to be the vehicle that I was most effective at using. I am aware of no plans for this work to continue under different leadership. The organizations I worked with and for will lose this resource for the vulnerable populations they serve.
But they are not the only ones to suffer a loss. Sarah and I have lost the ability to continue in the retirement program I’ve been participating in since my first week at Extension, as well as the retiree health program that would have helped minimize the fiscal anxiety associated with retirement and ageing. Treatment and stabilization for long-term conditions, like Sarah’s macular degeneration, have now become more difficult conversations to have. In choosing this path, MSUE has not only fundamentally altered our lives at present, but every day of our lives moving forward.
Looking beyond my own circumstances, this situation seems to indicate that any employee of MSUE, no matter how valuable, knowledgeable or experienced, will be removed without hesitation or recourse if they are perceived as a threat to the funding provided to MSUE by local governments. That makes clear where Extension’s loyalties lie, and it’s not with the programming and education field staff, who are the true strength and face of the organization.
That’s disappointing. More so because it runs counter to everything I have heard about the importance of Extension staff at every conference, training, staff meeting and one-on-one.
As we negotiate our new future, Sarah and I do want to be very clear that my efforts to bring transparent, ethical government that is supportive of all the citizens of Ottawa County will not be swayed by this life-altering event. From the beginning of my campaign, my priority has been the citizens of the county, and helping to return our county government to a more functional, thoughtful state.
Having come this far, I assure you nothing will deter me from doing the hard work my District 2 constituents chose me to do on May 7. I am committed, and I will continue to work toward mending the recent divisiveness, distraction and delay so we can move forward together.”
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