In my 17 years as executive director of Amherst Media, I committed and honored the promotion of free speech for all. This ensured community access to equipment and training in communication technologies; the documentation and conservation of cultural, educational, and civic events; and guaranteed transparency of local government.

In July, I was ousted without cause, notice or explanation. I must now question the organization’s current leadership for their lack of commitment to upholding these critically important objectives that honor the mission statement.

The current board of directors blatantly disregarded personnel policies and dedicated bylaws to egregiously and summarily dismiss me. Free speech and transparency have been suppressed, manipulated and falsely portrayed.

The composition of Amherst Media’s board of directors is intended to include five persons who are elected by membership; five appointments by the board, one representative from the Amherst Regional Public Schools, one in higher education and one appointed by the town manager. This board has fiduciary responsibilities and oversight, and the directive to abide by the organization’s adopted bylaws and personnel policies.

After we had repurposed and outfitted the old Electric Building at 246 College St. in 1991, we faced eviction in 2010, and delayed eviction. After extensive searching, the board at that time decided to purchase land at Main and Gray streets. I was asked to help raise the necessary funds, facilitate design, creation, and lead the organization through multiple and exceptionally complicated steps in obtaining a building permit.

This June I was able to lower the construction cost to $1.2 million from the $3.5 million estimate and obtain bank financing and grants from foundations and the state. We were ready to break ground this October.

The board’s response to this joyous news was a Personnel Committee meeting, where three silent board members had their appointed attorney read me my “separation” document, offering me one month’s pay as severance in return for a nondisclosure agreement. I was coldly informed that as an “at-will employee,” the board could remove me without cause. My separation was immediate and I was escorted out of the facility. I did not accept the nondisclosure agreement.

To date, I have not been formally told what provoked this ruthless action, but have heard from supporters that a grievance was launched at me by one of the two employees. Personnel policies instituted to protect both the employees and employers were knowingly disregarded, eviscerating my right to answer any and all criticisms leveled against me. I was unceremoniously removed after 17 years of dedicated service.

My fundamental right to defend myself was violated. Free speech is not for one side of an argument, selectively used to move someone’s agenda. For an organization that has always had free speech as its cornerstone, to internally suppress that ideal is extremely disturbing to me, as it should be to you.

During my tenure I have seen many dedicated and committed people join the board of directors, and become active producers of on-air live and recorded shows. Many of those productions reflected the inclusive, equitable and welcoming visibility to the multiple communities that reside in the town of Amherst, including the most marginalized. Amherst Media provided a venue to amplify the voices of those without representative seats within the town’s governing bodies.

Established in 1976 as a nonprofit, Amherst Media is the oldest cable access station in the nation. It is a part of American history. Undoubtedly, over all the decades, Amherst Media has seen its share of internal and external battles. It has always been the community residents and organizations that have stepped in to help reset the balance. Many times that has meant residents have agreed to be nominated and run for the community seats on the board of directors.

This invaluable and historical institution needs strong, proactive, and experienced leadership now more than ever. If open access to media and hyperlocal coverage of town issues, events and educational opportunities for all are to be continued, the membership of Amherst Media, the town and its government and residents need to take action, and ask themselves — what really happened?

Why, when a new building was about break ground, did the board of directors choose to discard this fortuitous opportunity for the ongoing growth and good of the town and increasingly diverse generations in the future? What happened? No one has had the courtesy to tell me.

Jim Lescault was executive director of Amherst Media from October 2007 to July 2024. He lives in Springfield.