An anonymous Cook Commons employee said that two days after the Cynic published “‘Quality of Life’: A look inside UVM Sodexo” in a special issue, all four pages of the paper were put up on a bulletin board. The employee said they wished to be anonymous out of fear of losing their job.

On the front page are the words “Don’t believe everything you read” in all capital letters, in red, according to photos taken May 3 by the employee and provided to the Cynic. 

Former employee Cindy Smith, who is featured prominently in the piece, has an X over her face in black pen. There is a signed note from supervisor John Brandes that read “If anyone needs to talk or is upset by this article, please feel free to discuss this matter with me,” according to the photos.

The article is now taken down, according to another source close to the employee who also wished to be anonymous for similar reasons.

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Zelazny issued a statement May 4 in an email to the Cynic, addressing the incident:

“In a proactive effort to address and engage employees who had or might have questions about a recent article in the Vermont Cynic, the article was posted by a manager in a common area for review.  Unfortunately, one of the pictures in the article was defaced at some point on Sunday morning. The manager was notified and the article was immediately removed and we are investigating who may have defaced the photo. Sodexo is committed to providing a safe, fair, and respectful environment and does not tolerate behavior which does not support these values.”

To read the full article that was posted in Cook Commons, click here.