NY librarian fired for closing during tornado warning is rehired; most of library board quits

June 13, 2013 at 3:15PM

ROUND LAKE, N.Y. — A librarian in a small upstate New York village is back on the job two weeks after she was fired for closing the library 40 minutes early amid a tornado warning.

Theresa Marchione (mahr-shee-OHN') shut down the Round Lake Library on May 29 as nasty weather headed her way. Meteorologists later confirmed a tornado touched down 13 miles away.

The library's board fired Marchione two days later, and people in the village 20 miles north of Albany protested loudly.

On Wednesday night, seven of the eight library board members quit. A new board quickly reinstated Marchione with back pay. The decision was met with a standing ovation from the crowd gathered at the meeting.

Marchione hasn't spoken publicly and didn't attend the meeting.

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