Steve,
Sorry, but this is a leap of logic that I can't follow. How did we get
from a <public> librarian being <supposedly> fired for reporting a patron
viewing child pornography to the police to teachers having relations with
their students? That boggles my mind. The two things have nothing to do
with one another whatsoever unless Donny Chrisler (the offending patron in
the story) is a teacher. I see no report that he is.
This case makes me leary for several reasons. First of all, we're all
jumping on this bandwagon before all of the information is out. Even with
"satisfactory" performance reviews, this librarian might have had
job-related issues for years. We just don't know.
We also don't know exactly what happened on the day in question. Sure, it
seems like a cut-and-dried case of polical correctness run amok, but the
facts might be different. Maybe library policy is to let the offender go
to avoid a potentially violent confrontation and then to collect computer
records and go to the police later. Maybe Biesterfeld was told this by her
supervisor but decided to call the police anyway. That would be
insubordination as well as a violation of library policy. Those could be
firing offenses. We just don't know all the facts.
Finally, this smacks of an election-year political football. I'm hoping
that "child pornography in the libraries" doesn't become this election
year's "gay marriage".
Steven Nabinger, Teacher-Librarian
C. S. Driver Middle School
Marcellus Central Schools
2 Reed Parkway
Marcellus, NY 13108
(315) 673-0259
snabinger@mcs.cnyric.org
-----Steve Bazis <ssaaron@COX.NET> wrote: -----
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2008 19:00:38 -0500
From: Steve Bazis <ssaaron@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: Librarian fired for reporting Child Porn viewer to police
I agree. Pornography has no value to it except to turn people on. And
then
people wonder why incidents like teachers having relations with their
students are on the rise.
Steve Bazis
Beka Horton Library
ssaaron@cox.net
Pensacola, FL
----- Original Message -----
From: "Marsha Redd" <marsharedd@HOTMAIL.COM>
To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Monday, April 07, 2008 5:29 PM
Subject: Re: Librarian fired for reporting Child Porn viewer to police
In my humble opinion this is confidentiality run amuck. Confidentiality
should not trump illegality. That librarian was doing her civic duty.
Marsha ReddLibrarian, Kelloggsville High School Grand Rapids, MI
marsharedd@hotmail.comEducation is not a goal; it is a life-long process.
Everyone is a student. Everyone is a teacher.
----------------------------------------
> Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2008 15:13:35 -0700
> From: fourefs@SBCGLOBAL.NET
> Subject: [LM_NET] Librarian fired for reporting Child Porn viewer to
> police
> To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
>
> 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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