Indianapolis Library's Choice for CEO Turns Down Job Less Than a Day After Board Vote

Gabriel Morley has turned down the CEO job at Indianapolis Public Library, less than 24 hours after the library's board voted to offer him the position.

In a statement, Morley said it had become clear the job was not the right fit. "I am disheartened by the way we have come to this point and decision," he said, adding that he wished IndyPL well going forward.

The board voted 4-2 on Dec. 8 to extend the offer to Morley, with one member abstaining. Many people attending the meeting booed the outcome, shouted "shame" and told board president Jose Salinas he would be held accountable.

Board member Khaula Murtadha, who voted no, said at the meeting that choosing Morley over Nichelle M. Hayes "is against what the community has told us." Hayes had served as the library's interim CEO until the board's vote and was a finalist alongside Morley.

In the days before the vote, people who had worked for or with libraries Morley previously oversaw, including in New Orleans, described their concerns to Indianapolis media. Those concerns ranged from how he handled COVID-19 to allegedly misrepresenting budget cuts.

Salinas said in a statement that the board understands Morley's decision. "Dr. Morley earned this offer on his own merit, through his qualifications, and decades of experience," he said. The board, he added, will now consider how to proceed with another search.

The library said Chief Public Services Officer Gregory Hill will serve as acting CEO and that the search for a permanent leader will resume "in the near future." Hayes, who remains employed by the library, said when reached by phone that she has no immediate plans and has not thought about whether she will pursue the permanent job again.

Michael Torres, president of the Indy Library Workers Union, called Morley's withdrawal a relief but said he does not know what comes next. "I was elated and glad but now I'm angry in a sense that I'm frustrated they put Nichelle through this," Torres said. "The only response is to hire her."

Torres described the board as dysfunctional and said that if members opt for a new search rather than offering the post to Hayes, the whole process should be examined. "You had the right one in the first place, told her no, and the next day … now they've declined," he said. He also questioned why the search consultant's company "pushed this gentleman on us."