Panel Recommends Firing Gay Fire Chief

[nageov3t]

I don't understand why her being gay is even an issue, assuming the charges are all real and not just a trumped up excuse to get her out of power.

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: Brutuskend
I seem to remember saying in a post some time back about how I felt uncomfortable being around some gays and then being called a bigot for my feelings, yet here YOU are saying pretty much the same thing about your feelings being around straight men....

I'm with KarenMarie one this one, I don't get it, nor do I see any difference between the two points of view. 😕

I have pointed out on many occasions how aidanjm is exactly the thing he hates, a bigot, and he has flatly denied it. At least now I see I'm not alone in seeing his blatant hypocrisy.

 

[Brutuskend]

I find if odd how the PC pendulum swings sometimes. My friend gets canned from the Fire Department for sexual harassment and get nothing but FIRED. No 30 to 40K like this person is apparently getting. Years ago he may have played the race card, him being black and all and maybe they would have offered HIM some big cash "Bonus" to quietly go away. Not that he WOULD have.

I don't think anyone would argue with me over the fact that women are a minority in most ANY fire department, in fact I saw a story on just that subject awhile back on 20/20 or some such show, and to that the fact that she is also gay and you get a minority X2. SO, because she is what she is, they hand her a wad of cash AND let her continue to work in the fire department??! Lets face it, if it had been a straight man being accused of these things (and they had found evidence supporting those claims) he would be out on his ear, PLUS the Department would probably be hit with a BIG BIG money law suit. All in all the whole thing seems pretty unfair to me and I'm sure my friend that was caned from the F.D. would agree.

Awhile back I also stated in a thread that it seemed to ME that in this day and age gays, in some situations, seemed to have MORE rights, or at least more leeway in some areas than us straight people do. Here IMO is another prime example of just such a case.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

As it happens my law firm (a 7-attorney litigation firm in Minneapolis) conducted the investigation into Chief Bleskachek's situation. A colleague of mine has spent the last 8 months or so of her life on more or less nothing but this case.

Without getting into my personal opinions on this case, or any information I have taken home from the office (which is essentially nil anyway), I can comfortably say that Chief Bleskachek has been treated fairly. A local columnist, Nick Coleman, wrote in the paper this morning that if the chief were a Bernie rather than a Bonnie, and had attracted as many lawsuits and grievances as Chief Bleskachek, he would have been gone months ago. He may well be right.

In any event, firing her outright will be a tough process, as she can't be fired in one fell swoop - in accordance with her contract, she can only be removed to a lower position (battalion chief) if she is removed as Fire Chief, and she is, under the applicable case law, entitled to a hearing and an opportunity to respond before this happens. She is entitled to another battery of civil-service grievance processes if the City wants to fire her from the lower position. This could mean a long, hard-fought, expensive process. We shall see . . .

 

[Brutuskend]

Originally posted by: DonVito
As it happens my law firm (a 7-attorney litigation firm in Minneapolis) conducted the investigation into Chief Bleskachek's situation. A colleague of mine has spent the last 8 months or so of her life on more or less nothing but this case.

Without getting into my personal opinions on this case, or any information I have taken home from the office (which is essentially nil anyway), I can comfortably say that Chief Bleskachek has been treated fairly. A local columnist, Nick Coleman, wrote in the paper this morning that if the chief were a Bernie rather than a Bonnie, and had attracted as many lawsuits and grievances as Chief Blockage, he would have been gone months ago. He may well be right.

In any event, firing her outright will be a tough process, as she can't be fired in one fell swoop - in accordance with her contract, she can only be removed to a lower position (battalion chief) if she is removed as Fire Chief, and she is, under the applicable case law, entitled to a hearing and an opportunity to respond before this happens. She is entitled to another battery of civil-service grievance processes if the City wants to fire her from the lower position. This could mean a long, hard-fought, expensive process. We shall see . . .

AH!

Thanks for the insightful information.

I feel better about the whole thing now as it relates to my friend and HIS situation.

Glad you added the post my man!

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: Brutuskend

AH!

Thanks for the insightful information.

I feel better about the whole thing now as it relates to my friend and HIS situation.

Glad you added the post my man!

No prob. FYI, in regard to the severance you mentioned, Chief Bleskachek is entitled to it under her employment agreement. It's not a buyout, it's something she has a right to. I'll leave it to you to form your own opinion on that, but it's not uncommon in employment contracts for appointed positions like this one.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: loki8481
I don't understand why her being gay is even an issue, assuming the charges are all real and not just a trumped up excuse to get her out of power.

Especially spending $410,000 to make up charges against her.

A Gay Witch Hunt?

That's good, that means Gays are getting more in the mix with multiple issues.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: loki8481
I don't understand why her being gay is even an issue, assuming the charges are all real and not just a trumped up excuse to get her out of power.

Especially spending $410,000 to make up charges against her.

A Gay Witch Hunt?

That's good, that means Gays are getting more in the mix with multiple issues.

:roll: Don't let the facts get in the way of your paranoia, Dave.