Melrose YMCA executive resigns
Sex abuse case prompts shakeup
The vice president of the Melrose YMCA is resigning, the third official to leave the organization since a worker at its after-school program was arrested on child sexual abuse charges.
Nancy Madden is stepping down in October, members of the YMCA board announced yesterday. She follows longtime the Y’s president and chief executive Richard Whitworth, who announced his resignation last month, and Karen Dauteuil, vice president of childcare services.
A board member also disclosed that the national headquarters of the YMCA is closely involved in reorganizing the Melrose Y after an outpouring of community outrage over the case involving former employee James Conner.
The Melrose YMCA said it is looking for an “experienced professional’’ to serve as an interim executive.
“The National YMCA organization is providing a great deal of assistance and guidance to the board of directors during this transition phase,’’ said the board member, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Madden did not respond to messages yesterday after the Melrose YMCA announced she was leaving. She joined the YMCA as a part-time employee in 1989, while Whitworth was installed as president in 1979. Residents and the local press had called for the pair to step down after Conner’s arrest.
Conner was arrested at his North Reading home on charges of assaulting two children who attended YMCA programs. At his arraignment on April 7, he pleaded not guilty to 20 charges, including five counts of rape of a child by force, according to the court’s criminal docket for the case.
The state Department of Early Education and Care, which licenses after-school programs at nonprofit organizations, reported in April that YMCA administrators hired Conner despite knowing of allegations of impropriety at other facilities and warning signs at the Melrose Y. The agency said the Melrose Y had “failed to protect children from abuse.’’
Though the YMCA has disputed the report, it infuriated many residents. Patricia Wright, a local lawyer, formed Melrose Cares, a group that launched an online petition last month demanding the immediate ouster of Whitworth and Madden.
“I think it’s a victory for the community,’’ Wright said yesterday when asked about Madden’s departure.
In a statement announcing the Madden resignation, the Melrose YMCA board said Whitworth will step down as soon as an interim executive is in place.
“The Melrose YMCA is committed to the health and safety of all children and families in our community and especially those in our care and our programs,’’ the board’s statement says. “We believe this transition will move our YMCA forward and provide the leadership necessary to continue meeting the Melrose community’s needs.’’
In June, the YMCA gave up its license to run an after-school program at the Beebe School, where Conner worked.
The city has announced a new after-school program starting in September at all of its elementary schools. More than 200 children have signed up, according to Mayor Robert Dolan.
Dolan said that while plans for the new program developed after the YMCA scandal broke, they had been in the works for three years.
“Whenever we can provide choice for the community, it’s a good thing,’’ he said.
The turmoil at the Y has rocked this city north of Boston, where the YMCA has anchored downtown since 1890.
“The Melrose Y really is the center point of our downtown economy,’’ Dolan said earlier this month. “It’s important that the Y succeed going forward.’’
