New London — The Connecticut chapter of the American Federation of Teachers is investigating allegations of misuse of funds by members of the local union representing health care workers at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital.

The L+M health care workers union, AFT local 5123, represents more than 700 service and support workers at the hospital, including administrative assistants. It is the largest of four local AFT affiliates representing employees in the Yale New Haven Health system, which L+M joined in 2016.

An AFT Connecticut spokesman, Matt O'Connor, said the state chapter of the union is looking into the possible misuse of the L+M affiliate's treasury funds. He did not confirm any details about the investigation, including which members are under investigation or what the allegations are.

Connie Fields, who was elected president of the L+M health care workers union in February, declined to comment on the investigation in an emailed statement Tuesday.

"I can confirm that local leadership is working closely with both our state and national unions to resolve prior issues regarding use of funds from our treasury," Fields, an administrative assistant in the hospital's patient care services, said in the statement, which O'Connor emailed to The Day. "Those efforts are ongoing, so it would not be appropriate to comment publicly at this time."

Fields said the union's previous president, Harry Rodriguez, resigned for personal reasons in February after 15 years in the post.

"I, along with the newly elected executive board, look forward to representing the membership," she said.

Reached by phone Tuesday, Rodriguez said he stepped down because he plans to retire from his job as a health unit coordinator in L+M's neonatal intensive care unit and did not plan to run for another three-year term as president.

He said his decision to resign before the February elections was not related to any allegations of misuse of funds by members, and he declined to comment on whether he was aware of the investigation or whether he is the subject of an investigation.

"Rather than serve a partial term, I let someone else younger than I serve a full term," he said. "My obligation was to my membership. ... Fifteen years is a long time to be president of a union."

With the presidents of the AFT local affiliate representing L+M's registered nurses and the one representing the hospital's technicians and licensed practical nurses, in 2016 he helped negotiate a three-year contract for all three hospital-based unions. That agreement expires next year.

The contract between Yale New Haven Health and the AFT local affiliate representing the Visiting Nurse Association of Southeastern Connecticut also expires next year.

L+M spokesman Mike O'Farrell declined to comment on the investigation.

"We continue to maintain regular hospital-related dialogue in our partnership with the union leadership elected to represent our associates," he said in an email. "It is not appropriate for us to comment on specific union-related business or activities."

m.shanahan@theday.com