According to reports reaching our newsroom, Ms Rosan-Jones, who hosts what many have deemed as a highly controversial talk show on 284 Media and held the position of Events Coordinator at BVITB, was made redundant effective Friday, December 11, 2020.

“Yes, I was made redundant on Friday, with immediate effect,” Ms Rosan-Jones confirmed to Virgin Islands News Online on December 13, 2020.

Further, our newsroom received a copy of the letter served to Ms Rosan-Jones, who was employed with BVITB for some 6 years.

It said the letter was to inform her of the outcome of a recent review by the BVI Tourist Board of its operational requirements and what this meant to her.

“Please note as a result of the changes being made within the organisation, the position of Events Coordinator is no longer needed as such your position has been made redundant. Regrettably, this means your employment with BVI Tourist Board and Film Commission has been terminated with immediate effect,” the letter stated.

The BVITB also offered a severance package.

‘Victimisation’

The decision by the BVITB to part company with Ms Rosan-Jones; however, is not sitting well with her and Ms Rosan-Jones has alleged victimisation.

“I absolutely think it’s victimisation as I’ve been relentlessly harassed for the better part of a year and a half, since the VIP has been elected, Ms Rosan-Jones alleged.

It was on October 8, 2019, that Rosan-Jones had received a warning letter from her employer, accusing her of trying to embarrass the Board and the territory over some controversial social media posts.

The BVITB in their warning letter, said, "As you are aware, the BVITB and the Film Commission is tasked with, among other things, the favourable promotion of the BVI."

Without naming a specific post, the letter made reference to social media comments made towards the Premier and the government, "including the Tourism portfolio, and also persons responsible for and operating within that portfolio," it said.

“From where we sit, the BVITB has determined that your posts as an employee of the board has embarrassed the Board and are not in line with the Board’s aim to favourably promote the BVI."

Rosan-Jones had fired back at the Board saying she has a right to question the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) administration.

"As a voting citizen of the British Virgin Islands, I have a constitutional right to question the duly elected Administration appointed to run the Government," she further added.

VIP critic?

Among her relentless criticisms of the sitting government, Rosan-Jones had said at a community meeting in Long Look on May 30, 2019, that Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) is now running a dictatorship akin to the Jim Jones era.

“I’m frustrated and if I have to walk inside of the House of Assembly on Monday [July 3, 2019] and shut that s*!t down I’m going to do that!” Rosan-Jones had said in her objections to the Amendments to the Immigration and Passport Act 2019, which would ultimately result in a number of persons living and working in the Virgin Islands for 20 years and more be given Belonger status.

Rosan-Jones, who described herself as a generational Christian, also urged the premier to stop using God's name in his plans while “dividing” the country, “I hate, it really irritates me that everything that the Premier wants to push through, he calls God’s name.”

“God doesn’t work like that… we’re in a Jim Jones era and me personally, I am not going to be led to the table of poison.”

Premier Fahie had repeatedly said one of the main reasons for seeking to address the issue of immigration regularisation was to unite the Virgin Islands to face the challenges that may lie ahead.

Regarding the dictatorship label, Premier Fahie has said he is running an ‘accelerated ship’, referring to the industriousness of his government in continuously bringing heavy legislation to the House of Assembly to improve the lives of the Virgin Islands people.

Legal challenge

Asked if she will challenge the decision to make her redundant, Ms Rosan-Jones responded in the affirmative and also stated that as far as she knows no one else was made redundant and she doesn’t expect anyone else to be.

“Absolutely, I’ve left it with my lawyer,” Ms Rosan-Jones stated.

Our newsroom reached out to Chairperson of the BVI Tourist Board Mrs Keneisha A. Sprauve and BVITB Director Mr Clive McCoy; however, no responses to our questions were received up to time of publication.

Controversial style

While some persons believe that it is a healthy democracy when persons are able to freely speak on issues, many have been critical of the “antagonistic” style in which Ms Rosan-Jones has gone about her business in highlighting those issues.

It was in June 2020 that Ms Rosan-Jones and another BVI Tourist Board employee, Esther N. Fraser, were accused of harassing, threatening and bullying businesses in boycotting Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) over a cartoon that spoke to possible racism and racial injustice and economic suppression in the Virgin Islands by the United Kingdom.

The cartoon in question was a depiction from the Claude O. Skelton-Cline's show, Honestly Speaking, in which Mr Skelton-Cline stated that the Governor and the UK have their feet on the neck of Virgin Islands' residents and by extension the Government.

Many businesses; however, openly refused to discontinue advertising with VINO, and some even renewed their advertising contracts ahead of schedule in a show of solidarity with the news entity.

Ms Rosan-Jones was also accused of disrespecting one of the territory’s icons, Mrs Patsy C. Lake, something many felt was pushing things too far.