By Gina Martinez
The lawsuit filed by former Queens Library CEO Thomas Galante against the institution and two of its trustees has ended in a $1.5 million settlement.
Galante, who worked with the library for 27 years, was fired in December 2014 amid an FBI investigation of his outside consulting business and audit by City Comptroller Scott Stringer that determined Galante was using the Library to pay for personal expenses. Galante went on to sue the library for $2 million in November 2015 for breach of contract, claiming he was fired without cause.
Queens Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott, released a statement on the settlement and dismissal of the case.
“It’s in the best interest of this institution and the public to put our time and resources towards our future, rather than litigate this matter to conclusion,” Walcott said. “I look forward to continuing our work of providing outstanding service to all of our customers.”
Of the $1.5 million half is covered by insurance and $300,000 is being paid out to Galante. The remaining $1.2 million will pay for legal fees.
Queens Library countersued Galante and sought $200,000 from him for questionable expenses on his library corporate credit card in the span of two years. Galante allegedly charged to the card meals, alcoholic beverages, parking tickets, concert tickets furniture for his office, office roof deck or home, and books he bought on Amazon for his Kindle. The library also wanted an additional $260,000 to cover the money the library had to spend on legal fees that began accruing when the FBI started investigating Galante in 2014. To date there has been no indictment.
The library also claims Galante was working full time for another employer in violation of his obligations to the library. It claims he conducted personal business on library time and utilized the legal services of the library’s outside counsel for his own personal benefit. Additionally, the suit claims he has refused to return property that belongs to the library.
Galante denied all allegations, claiming the expenditures were for the benefit of the library and that the library was aware and approved his outside consulting work and he has not kept any property belonging to the library.
“After giving 27 years of my life to the Queens Library and raising millions of dollars to make it better, the political winds changed overnight and my name was dragged through the mud,” Galante said. “I’m filing this lawsuit to set the record straight.”
In September Brooklyn Federal Judge Allyne Ross ordered the Queens Public Library to pay for the defense of Galante. Ross ruled that under the New York Not-for-Profit Corporation Law the library was required to provide Galante with reasonable litigations expenses for his defense against its counter claims. Ross said the law “allows the director or officer of a not-for-profit corporation to seek advancement of legal fees when a lawsuit is filed against him for which he may ultimately be entitled to indemnification”
Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmart
