The New Murrey and Blue blog

Statement from Former Richard III Society Directors

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On 16 February the following Directors reluctantly resigned their directorships: Cris Reay Connor, Amanda Geary, Kim Harding, Philippa Langley, Joanne Larner, Janine Lawrence. They include some of the Society’s most hard-working Officers, and their combined years of membership amount to 193. Their full grounds for resignation have been stated in a document delivered to the Board.

Their grounds for complaint have accumulated over the course of Board meetings since certain members were newly elected in October 2024. Since then the character of their input has become confrontational, bullying and disrespectful towards other Directors and Officers, in a manner entirely out of kilter with the Board’s previously consensual way of working.

It has also emerged in their attitude that this group expects to exert control over the widest possible areas of the Society. They have engaged in ad hominem attacks; have denigrated others’ work and credentials; and described the Society’s Facebook page as ‘an embarrassment’. It must be emphasised that this has not been a single dispute over ‘differing approaches’ relating to Facebook, but an accumulation of hectoring and overbearing behaviour on the part of some who seek to control the Society; which has, after many months, at last rendered Board membership intolerable.

The Society has been and always should be a broad church, and those Directors who resigned hold fast to that core value. Like the overwhelming majority of fellow members, they have joined and served the Society for one reason: they embrace our common sympathetic interest in Richard as set out in our Mission Statement.

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6 responses to “Statement from Former Richard III Society Directors”

  1. Beth Williams Avatar
    Beth Williams

    Jo, if the situation is this disagreeable that resignation is the only option, which I suspect it is, then for you to depart the team is a red flag within the Society – NO one could find fault with your motivation or integrity, I’ve followed you here (and in emails) for some time. This is truly disappointing from the Board, they should have moved heaven and earth to prevent these resignations.

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    1. jrlarner Avatar
      jrlarner

      Thank you, Beth, for your support.

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Beth Williams Avatar
        Beth Williams

        Jo, my head is deep in research 90% of the time so I miss all the intrigues but I catch odd whiffs here and there – over on Instagram’s Team.Gloucestre commenters have left oblique comments that recently made me think something is up at the Society. This development confirms the queasy feelings I have had – before covid lockdown, when I was still teaching I avoided additional duties like department chair etc because of ‘meetings’ – the least civil discourse imaginable among allegedly educated and like minded professionals. I dread to think if you have been subjected to anything like this BS (excuse my anger) and honestly, I wish I had your tenacity and patience!

        all we can do at this point, from my (preferable) perch far afield, is produce the material that earns us the clout to override whatever is going on inside the Society – I have specific motivations behind my research but this situation you find yourself in with the others who resigned just moved it up to front and center.

        Liked by 2 people

  2. jay Avatar
    jay

    i am a member of the society and am appalled that the society has regressed to the chaos and disfuntionality that necessitated an independant review of the conduct of the board and the governance of the society about 5 years ago. it is unacceptable that the individuals who have caused this meltdown are still in place – while people who have done more to advance the ricardian cause have left. members must make their feelings known – particularly as the points of contention concern the direction of the society. the remaining board has no mandate to impose their ideas without reference to the members. i intend to write and demand full transparency – and how the allegations of unacceptable behaviour by certain individuals are to be investigated. i urge other members who care about richard to do the same – or it may be too late and we’ll all have to get used to him being called the ‘u’word..

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  3. harmonyinsightfulaf82ba1c2b Avatar
    harmonyinsightfulaf82ba1c2b

    It’s ironic the one of the new board members is so critical of the Society’s FB page when he is a total cock-up himself. As we say here in the States, “a PhD sometimes means Piled Higher & Deeper.”

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    1. Beth Williams Avatar
      Beth Williams

      well, now I know I am missing some details! I don’t follow FB, never have, andafter your reference I am glad I do not, I have too much research that I am doing, no time for what sounds like petty BS (sorry, but that is how it sounds). As per the PhD reference, absolutely, and I would add it is the miniscule minority in which this is not the case! (handy ‘tell’ is in their footnotes, not the biblio.)

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