Accused earlier this year of using intimidation to silence opposition, the president of the Resident Advisory Board for the Chattanooga Housing Authority is facing another challenge this week.

Deborah Henry said she lost her job as corresponding secretary for the East Lake Courts Resident Association because advisory board President Jesse Lawrence has a grudge against her. Ms. Lawrence also is president of the East Lake association.

“You can’t talk to her,” Ms. Henry said.

Ms. Lawrence said Ms. Henry’s removal was a result of the association’s rules. Ms. Henry was voted out of office after East Lake members realized that, under their bylaws, all positions must be elected, Ms. Lawrence said.

In February, three officials with other resident associations wrote a letter to the housing authority asking that the entire Resident Advisory Board be investigated for “intimidating tactics.”

Ms. Henry was voted out of office Wednesday by Ms. Lawrence and the three other members of the East Lake resident association. She said she lost the job despite having signatures from more than 60 East Lake residents asking that she be allowed to keep it.

“Why would they do that (fire her)?” asked East Lake resident Tamesh Eppinger, who signed the petition asking that Ms. Henry stay. “We wouldn’t know anything about what’s going on if it wasn’t for Ms. Henry.”

Ms. Henry said she believed she lost her job because she tells East Lake residents more than Ms. Lawrence wants them to know.

Ms. Lawrence and Ms. Henry ran against each other in a bid for East Lake association president. After she won the election, Ms. Lawrence appointed Ms. Henry as corresponding secretary.

“We didn’t know you couldn’t appoint a person,” Ms. Lawrence said. “We’re sticking to the bylaws.”

In February, Ralph Williams, now president of the College Hill Courts Resident Association, said he requested the investigation after board officials told Doris Conner, former president of the College Hill association, that she should not speak with the media or voice complaints to housing authority officials without first talking to the board.

Chattanooga Housing Authority officials said they do not have the authority to tell resident leaders what they should and should not do.

“HUD requires the resident associations to elect leaders among themselves. They’re independent of the housing authority,” said Eddie Holmes, CHA’s board chairman.

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