GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A Green Bay Girl Scout troop leader says she has been dismissed from her position for her role in organizing a vigil and collecting money for the families of three Girl Scouts and a scout mother who were killed.
The Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes isn’t saying why it ‘permanently suspended’ Liz Steffel, but parents also believe it was for her role in organizing the vigil.
The vigil at the Brown County Courthouse in downtown Green Bay on November 10th was done by the troop on its own. Similar vigils were held throughout the state and country.
The Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes says it supports each troop in how it honors the victims but was not involved in these vigils.
Steffel, a social worker, has been with Troop 4029 for three years. She says the group currently has 54 girls, mostly from west side schools.
Members of the troop were emotional while talking about Steffel’s suspension.
“First thing I think is it’s really stupid,” said Ruby Snyder, an 11-year-old and 6th-grade student at Franklin Middle School. “She did what’s right.”
What Snyder believes is right was Steffel’s effort in leading the vigil and money collection.
“At first we were met with resistance,” said Richard Schultz of the vigil.
Schultz, a co-leader of the troop, tells FOX 11 Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes repeatedly sent messages that made the troop feel it was not supported in its efforts.
Schultz and others believe it is because the troop decided to give the money raised directly to the victim’s families instead of to the Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes to disperse.
“There were several methods and we as a troop had discussed what is the best method for us, where do we want this money to go when we host our vigil,” said Becky Gulcynski, a co-troop leader.
“We wanted that money to directly to go towards these girls.”
On its website, Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes “recommends family donations be made through alternate avenues” including a GoFundMe account.
“If an individual chose to donate to our organization in honor of the impacted troop or girls, those funds are segregated to support our Council’s efforts in delivering the Girl Scout mission to girls in the Western Region of our Council, specifically the Chippewa Valley,” wrote Lee Snodgrass, Director of Communications for Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, in a statement.
Steffel showed FOX 11 the letter she received notifying her of her suspension. It does not provide a specific reason, but the Girl Scouts group lists areas of concern that it says Steffel refused to improve. The list includes ‘responsible for what I say and do’, ‘to respect myself and others-respect authority’, and ‘courageous and strong.’
“As an organization, our policy is to not comment on an individual’s employment or volunteer status or to discuss why an individual has chosen to leave or has been separated from our organization,” wrote Snodgrass in the Girl Scouts’ statement.
“I will not keep my girls with an organization who ethically and morally doesn’t hold the values that they expect from other people,” said Gulcynski.
Many of the Girl Scouts say they feel the same way.
“Obviously I’m not going to want to be in it,” said Snyder.
If Steffel isn’t reinstated, parents say they’ll explore other ways to gather without the Girl Scouts’ involvement.
The troop says it collected more than $200 in donations at its vigil. However, it is believed at least $10,000 was raised through special patches for the victims.
Troop parents say Steffel helped coordinate the patches and they also say the money went directly, not through the Girl Scouts organization, to the victims’ families.
