SALISBURY, Md. - Feathers remain ruffled over the ongoing transition of the Ward Museum ahead of its move downtown. The Ward Foundation now says Salisbury University changed the locks to the building on Schumaker Pond yesterday without alerting the Foundation. Interim Executive Director of the Foundation, Brittany Andrew, says they are attempting to determine if Foundation employees will need to work remotely going forward.
According to Andrews, the University instructed the Foundation to not remove anything from the premises and says the University has claimed that all items at the building are property of the school. Andrews says she has documentation, including Ward Foundation tax files, that disproves that claim.
“The Ward Foundation has not removed any property from the premises that isn't ours,” Andrews said. “Specifically, we have only moved materials that are required for and to be relocated to Ocean City for our World Championship in April.”
The University recently announced it was severing its ties to the Foundation, which the Foundation says came as a surprise.
In a response to inquiries from WBOC, University Spokesperson Jason Rhodes said the University is working to inventory the items at the museum to determine what property housed at the Museum belongs to the University and hence the State of Maryland, and what belongs to the Foundation.
“The University looks forward to working with the Ward Foundation on this determination,” Rhodes said.
On Thursday, Andrews said that Foundation employees had been granted access to the building from 8:30-10:30 a.m. to gather personal belongings, but have not been given access to do work.
This story has been updated to reflect Andrews' comments Thursday as to the Ward Foundation's current access to the building.