The Parentline case that has been in the public spotlight over the last few months is providing us with one of the saddest episodes we've seen in a long time.

The mess that has been dragged through the media paints the picture of a board showing a complete lack of respect for staff, the community and the very children the organisation has been assigned to protect.

28 years after helping form Parentline, CEO Maxine Hodgson was almost physically removed from the building as she was formally ousted from her job. The locks were changed on the doors and her time was up. From humble beginnings she had built an internationally respected organisation of which the community could not only be proud but also comforted to know that it was here to help kids in crisis. I have never met Maxine Hodgson, but over the years the only comments I have heard about her have been positive. She was seen as passionately and unconditionally committed to her cause.

People like this are rare. Because running a business off the smell of an oily rag takes a certain degree of bloody-mindedness you have to learn to never take no for an answer and along the way you may have to tread on a few toes. But when its about the organisation and not personal gain then it's perfectly acceptable.

The upshot of all this is that we are now being witness to the whole sorry saga as it gets aired in public from the courthouse.

It seems Maxine Hodgson was upset enough by her treatment to take out a personal grievance claim. This must have been a huge call for her having given 28 years of her life to Parentline. Generally speaking though, people only take out grievance claims if they have been aggrieved and this appears to be no exception.

Once this does happen, the onus is then on the leaders of the organisation being accused to act in its best interests. So many of these cases never make it court as the costs - financial and emotional far outweigh the gains to be made. So for the board to have got to this stage in the first place is completely unforgivable, particularly when you consider what Parentline is set up for and where its hard earned cash should be spent, ie not on expensive court cases but on the core business of helping kids in crisis.

Looking at some of the facts, it's hard to see a board that has acted in the best interests of the organisation is was employed to govern. And certainly, some questions need to be asked. Such as why have a good number of highly qualified and experienced people left since Maxine Hodgson was unceremoniously dismissed? Why have some of the city's most highly respected people come out in support of Maxine Hodgson, many unable to disguise their horror? Why was the constitution of Parentline changed from it being an Incorporated Society to a Charitable Trust, effectively sealing itself off from public input and scrutiny? If there were issues to address with management, as appears to be the case, why weren't they dealt with in accordance with our employment relations legislation? And further to this, having had a grievance claim taken, why couldn't the whole thing have been settled out of court, saving a huge amount of time and money?

There are no doubt many others.

The responsibility for answering all of them rests fairly and squarely with the board, starting with the Chairman. With staff leaving, reports of mortgages needing to be taken out to cover costs, conflicts of interest and a general siege mentality, these people need to be held to account.

Governance is a highly privileged position and it comes with huge responsibility. You are there to guide the organisation and ensure management are upholding its mission, values and strategies. You are not there to manage the business, you are there to govern it. At times of conflict your job is to resolve it quickly - behind closed doors and ensuring the best interests of the organisation and its people are at the core of the discussion. If none of this happens, you are liable - sometimes financially if it comes to the crunch. That's why it carries such responsibility, but it's hard to see any of these principals being carried out.

From a world respected local icon to a courtroom drama and potential financial trouble. That is the story of Parentline. Are we seeing the start of its demise? And if so, who is going to pick up where Maxine Hodgson left off and provide help and support for the all too many kids who need it?

As I learnt early in my life as the head of a business, the buck stops at the top. And, while it takes two parties to get into to conflict where often there are faults on both sides, true leadership is about doing w