I find it unusual that an attorney's religion would be reported as part
of a news article. On its face, this incident as reported is
disturbing, but perhaps there is more to the story. The employer can't
really make public comments about the employee's performance, so
whatever the former employee and his/her representatives put out there
is the only narrative. I'll wait for more information before I become
incensed on this.
Jenni Davidson
Jenni Davidson
jdavidson@solomon393.k12.ks.us <mailto:jdavidson@solomon393.k12.ks.us>
Elementary Librarian/HS Spanish
Solomon USD 393
Solomon, KS
-----Original Message-----
From: Liz Frame [mailto:fourefs@SBCGLOBAL.NET]
Sent: Monday, April 07, 2008 5:14 PM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: [LM_NET] Librarian fired for reporting Child Porn viewer to
police
So, which side of the fence is ALA on?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Employment records of fired librarian show she was solid employee
Allie Martin - OneNewsNow - 4/7/2008 6:00:00 AM
Christian attorney Mat Staver says the employment records of a
librarian who was fired after reporting a patron who was viewing child
porn to police show she had solid performance evaluations.
In January, Judy Hill, the supervisor at the Lindsay Library in
Tulare County, California, stated librarian Brenda Biesterfeld was
performing satisfactorily. But last month, Biesterfeld was fired two
days after police arrested Donny Chrisler at the library. Biesterfeld
had reported Chrisler to police after she caught him, on two occasions,
viewing child porn on library computers.
Biesterfeld's supervisors claim her firing was related to her job
performance. But Mat Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel, says employment
evaluations -- given by Hill -- tell a different story.
"The fact is when she gave the review, she said [Biesterfeld] was
performing satisfactorily, [and] she said she had a training for [the
librarian] that was going to be available in March," the attorney
explains. "And then just a few days later, the situation with the child
pornographer arose. When [Hill] found out it was Brenda who turned in
this child pornographer, two days after that she terminated her."
It is clear to Staver that Biesterfeld was fired because she turned in
Chrisler for being involved in the illegal activity of viewing child
porn. The attorney calls the actions of library officials in terminating
his client "horrendous and inexcusable."
"She should be immediately reinstated [and] compensated for the
injustice done to her, and the library ought to adopt clear policies
informing their staff of the duty to report child pornography to the
police authorities," argues Staver.
According to Staver, there is a chance the case could be settled through
mediation. If that does not work, he says legal action is a strong
possibility.
Police found more images of child pornography on Chrisler's home
computer. He is still being held on a $100,000 bond.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Liz Frame
Librarian
San Antonio Christian Elementary School
fourefs@sbcglobal.net
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