On Monday, it became known that Endre Skjervø has resigned as municipal director in Frosta. The dismissal was announced the day before the trial against Arne Bye started in Trøndelag District Court. In a press statement, Skjervø explained why he is resigning: – In the summer of 2022, Frosta was shaken by the case against Arne Bye, which still affects us to this day. As director of the municipality, I have felt a heavy responsibility to look after the victims and ensure that the municipality supported the whistleblowers from the start. – It has been difficult to balance the need for clear communication and transparency in the Arne Bye case, against the desire from political parties to hold back and not contribute to pre-judgment, Skjervø wrote further. – A dawning feeling that we are increasingly disagreeing Now news can tell why Skjervø actually chose to resign, the day before the Frosta case was to be heard in court. news has been given access to Skjervø’s resignation, sent to, among others, the mayor of Frosta. It says, among other things: (..) As a top manager in the municipal sector, it is very important to have a good dialogue with the mayor and to have security that political management and the municipal council have confidence in and support the person you have hired as top manager. If not, it will very quickly become demanding to be in such a job, and this affects the motivation to continue. I don’t depend on a pat on the back for a job well done, nor a very good salary development, but over time I have had the dawning feeling that we are increasingly disagreeing and that the distance is increasing. This simply becomes too demanding over time. (…) In the same resignation letter, Skjervø writes about a telephone conversation between Mayor Revhaug and him on 30 October. It was this telephone conversation that is said to have made the cup run over for Skjervø and caused him to resign the next day. “The phone call from the mayor last night, where I am once again reprimanded for being too open about how we have handled the Arne Bye case, shows that there is now simply too much distance between us.” Skjervø writes in an SMS to news that he does not wish to make any further comments. Mayor Frode Revhaug does not recognize that Skjervø was reprimanded. Photo: Mo / Morten Waagø The mayor: – Don’t recognize me Mayor of Frosta, Frode Revhaug, says he doesn’t recognize himself for reprimanding the municipal director. – I do not recognize myself in the claim that Skjervø has made, says Revhaug. At the same time, the mayor says that there have been disagreements about communication in the municipality. – I share Skjervøy’s experience that there is disagreement about how the Arne Bye case should be communicated externally. Revhaug says he and the municipal director have had talks about how the municipality should communicate. – In the conversations we have had, Skjervø has agreed that Frosta municipality’s statements in the Arne Bye case should be handled externally by the mayor. news has also been given access to a report after a discussion meeting between Skjervø and the political leadership in the municipality. There it emerges that Skjervø has been ordered not to speak or comment on the case against Arne Bye in the media. The order applies until 31.1.25. – It is because we agree that it is the mayor who must speak out about the Arne Bye case, says Revhaug. Both the municipal director and the mayor say there have been disagreements related to communication about the Frosta case. Photo: Morten Waagø / news Rejected communication plan One February day in 2023, the chairmanship of Frosta was supposed to consider a battle plan that municipal director Skjervø had drawn up. A 17-page “communication plan” on how they were to handle the then ever-growing abuse case further. During the discussion, mayor Frode Revhaug strongly disagreed with several of the formulations in it. Among other things, that he had close ties to the former municipal superintendent. The plan was scrapped. The decision was rather to update the previous communication plan from 2007. That is why news uses the term “Frosta case” news has chosen to use the term “Frosta case” for this set of cases because in a concise and neutral way it places this news case geographically, without taking position on the ongoing criminal case against the long-standing municipal superintendent and GP Arne Bye. Bye is accused of abusing his position to obtain sexual intercourse with 94 of his patients. According to the indictment, he allegedly raped 87 of these patients. Bye pleads guilty to parts of the indictment. The trial starts on 5 November, and there are 12 weeks until the case in Trøndelag district court. Although the term “Frosta case” can be perceived as stigmatizing for the residents of the municipality, news believes that it is comprehensive. Precisely because the entire local community is affected in various ways by this very extensive criminal case. The municipality has started a three-year public health project based on this case. Published 07.11.2024, at 18.34
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Disagreement about communication in the Frosta case – municipal director Endre Skjærvø resigned – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
