The Trouble With Mickaboo

Note: we have documents that support our account of all the events in this timeline. They can be provided to interested parties upon request.

August 2024
For years, Mickaboo leadership discussed developing an online self-paced basic bird care class, but the project repeatedly stalled. In August 2024, several volunteers revived the effort, quickly determining that the free platform leadership had selected was cumbersome and unsuitable. Mickaboo was unwilling to invest in a better platform, so volunteers independently researched alternatives and selected LearnWorlds, which Sarah Lemarie had identified in 2020 as a strong option.

September 2024
Melaine and Vincent began developing an online class on LearnWorlds, hoping that presenting a fully-built and polished course would encourage leadership to move forward and adopt the platform.

October 2024
The initial goal was to adapt the existing class into an online format, but the approach ultimately was rejected. Melaine instead redesigned the course using Birds for Dummies by Dr. Brian Speer (ABVM) as a model, ensuring the content reflected current, peer-reviewed research on bird care. 

Vincent drafted a “selection and implementation” document to send to the board, outlining the reasons Melaine had ultimately settled on LearnWorlds.

Around this time, Sarah quietly stepped down from her roles as COO and acting CEO, leaving both positions vacant. Leadership made no announcement of her departure or who would assume her responsibilities, and it was not publicly acknowledged until April 2025 when a volunteer asked about it publicly. At that time, leadership formed an “executive” committee to meet nonprofit compliance requirements.

October 21
Testing began with Tammy, Sarah and Michelle, current teachers, coordinators and other volunteers. Testers were asked to sign up, review the sections and complete quizzes at their own pace. On October 23, notes from initial testers were implemented. 

October 27
Pam commented that infrastructure and instructions were also needed, so Vincent created a mailing list, a Slack channel and a queue on Mickaboo’s service management suite, OTRS. 

October 29
Vincent asked Tammy and Michelle to evaluate the class content from two perspectives: the minimum changes needed to make it “good enough” for public release, and all desired long-term changes, including noncritical ones. He emphasized that launching a workable version quickly would allow Mickaboo to accommodate more potential adopters and move them forward in the approval process sooner.

November 1, 2024
Tammy said it was taking longer than expected to review the class but hoped to finish that day. She had suggestions she would send upon completion.

November 9, 2024
The Volunteers Coordinator assumed responsibility for organizing the class review, which now began with other Mickaboo teachers and carried a deadline of November 22. Feedback was solicited on both the LearnWorlds version and the older Google Classroom version of the class, with a shared Google Drive folder created to collect and organize comments for easy reference. Shortly afterward, however, leadership privately directed reviewers to send their feedback only to Michelle, Pam and Tammy, excluding Vincent and Melaine from the process.

November 18, 2024
Vincent reported on participant progress and the volunteer coordinator planned to send reminders to complete feedback.

Late December 2024
Melaine and Vincent heard nothing more until Michelle emailed them that feedback was mostly positive, changes would be minor and reviewer preference leaned toward the LearnWorlds version of the class rather than Google Classroom. She asked how edits should be implemented, and Melaine requested that notes be sent to her or Vincent for expediency.

January 1, 2025
A Zoom meeting was held to discuss LearnWorlds licensing, edit processes and next steps. Vincent, Pam, Tammy and Michelle were in attendance. Vincent offered to present the same material to the board.

January 17, 2025
Michelle told Melaine most reviewers were impressed. Leadership was prepared to recommend adoption once edits were complete, pending board approval.

January 19, 2025
Pam requested cost details for LearnWorlds. Vincent provided them, noting expenses had accrued due to leadership delays. Vincent also stated they were ready to proceed. In a separate email thread, Michelle said she and Tammy had begun final editing and found some surprising suggestions from Sarah. Vincent reiterated he wanted to attend the board meeting to defend the work.

End of January 2025
The Volunteer Coordinator checked in with Vincent regarding LearnWorlds’ costs and board approval. Vincent and Melaine had heard nothing, so they followed up with Pam. Pam replied that no additional information was needed and that they would work with Melaine if Mickaboo adopted LearnWorlds. This contradicted Tammy’s earlier statement that its adoption was a foregone conclusion. Vincent expressed frustration over the delays, to which Tammy responded that feedback was still being compiled.

February 5, 2025
Michelle sent a list of edits, noting the process had been slowed by formatting and organizational issues. 

There is no more email communication about the class until early April. During this time, Melaine used the LearnWorlds platform to conduct training sessions for home visitors and phone screeners. Using Scribe, Melaine and Vincent also created instruction sheets for various Mickaboo administrative processes and placed them on LearnWorlds.

March 2025
Melaine had essentially completed the report and was in the process of editing it and preparing it for the website. Around the same time, another Mickaboo volunteer reached out to various media outlets to gauge interest in a story highlighting the wild conures and the exorbitant funds Mickaboo spent to keep six birds who would never recover alive in inhumane conditions.

Early April 2025
Vincent told the Volunteer Coordinator they were done with essential changes and ready to present them. He and Melaine did not want to work with Michelle due to past issues.

Several other volunteers involved in creating the report expressed frustration over the delay in its release, given the number of birds allegedly being mistreated at FTB and the substantial funds being spent there. Some of these volunteers filed complaints against Fern Van Sant with the California Veterinary Medical Board, while others submitted complaints to the California Attorney General’s office over misuse of donor funds.

Melaine, Vincent, and several other current and former volunteers began speaking with the Chronicle reporter. Sarah soon learned of these conversations and contacted the reporter herself, attempting to steer the discussion in line with leadership’s preferred narrative.

April 5, 2025
In an unrelated matter, a volunteer wrote to the admin list and Discuss list to ask who the current CEO was. Instead of answering, Sarah deflected by asking whether the volunteer had been speaking to the SF Chronicle. The volunteer had no idea what she was referring to.

April 7, 2025
A discussion began on the Discuss list about a moratorium on new bird intakes because of extreme overcrowding and lack of fosters.

April 8, 2025
The Chronicle reporter asked volunteers to share their five biggest concerns about the organization, along with a list of questions they wished to pose to the board.

Around this time, leadership launched a concerted effort to identify those who were leaking information to the press.

April 14, 2025
In response to questions about a moratorium, Sarah posted misleading comments on Slack regarding specific birds and made statements about wild conures that contradicted her earlier remarks.

April 18, 2025 (approximately)
The reporter spoke with Michelle and Sarah and sent them a list of questions outlining all our concerns and verifying specific figures. They also began discussing a visit to FTB, although the journalist was told photographers would not be permitted.

April 23, 2025
Vincent tried to speak to Tammy about the class, but she was focused on the media-related issues.

April 24, 2025
Sarah downloaded all Melaine’s data from Mickaboo’s Google Workspace and reviewed her emails, address book, calendar and documents. Leadership began framing concerns as coming from “disgruntled” individuals.

April 28, 2025
The journalist relayed conversations with Sarah and Michelle. Volunteeers created “Mark Riverside” as a proxy.

April 30, 2025
Leadership finally responded to the journalist’s questions with misinformation and evasions.

May 3, 2025
The volunteers answered those falsehood’s with a detailed and well-documented rebuttal.

May 5, 2025
Reporter sent leadership the rebuttal.

May 8, 2025
Sarah, Pam, and Michelle accessed ASM, Mickaboo’s database, to look up information on Vincent, Melaine and birds they had fostered.

May 9, 2025
Michelle emailed Vincent and Melaine, demanding all requested class changes and administrative access for Sarah by May 14.

May 12, 2025
Leadership responded to Annie, saying they would not reply further but acknowledged receiving the rebuttal.

May 15, 2025
Michelle sent an email about the missed deadline from her personal Gmail account.

May 16, 2025
Melaine’s and Vincent’s access to Mickaboo systems was removed. Michelle emailed stating they were terminated for not providing the edited class and giving Sarah administrative access.

May 23, 2025
Emails from “Mark Riverside” were sent to the Discuss list. You can find Leadership’s response in articles throughout this website.

June 1, 2025
Pam emailed Discuss, stating the ultimate issue that Vincent and Melaine were expelled for was mishandling of the class, describing it as unauthorized, unsafe, and containing dangerous advice. She claimed they refused to correct errors, refused to work with the team leader, and shared an unfinished class with the public.