[Blindtlk] Arbitrator rules in favor of Christine Boone, former director of Michigan Commission

[Gloria Whipple]

Amen on that one!


Gloria Whipple
Corresponding Secretary
Inland Empire chapter
nfb of WA

Cell: 509-475-4993


-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Ray Foret Jr
Sent: Saturday, June 04, 2011 20:17
To: Blind Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Arbitrator rules in favor of Christine Boone, former
director of Michigan Commission

Well, there is justice on the Earth after all!!!  It's about damn time!!!


Sincerely,
The Constantly Barefooted Ray!!!

Now a very proud and happy Mac user!!!

Skype name:
barefootedray

Facebook:
facebook.com/ray.foretjr.1



On Jun 4, 2011, at 10:01 PM, David Andrews wrote:

> 
>> From: "J.J. Meddaugh" <jj at bestmidi.com>
>> To: "NFB of Kalamazoo Michigan List" <nfb-kzoo at nfbnet.org>,     "NFB of
Michigan Internet Mailing List"
>> <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Date: Wed, 25 May 2011 13:40:32 -0400
>> Subject: [Nfb-kzoo] Arbitrator rules in favor of Christine Boone,
former director of Michigan
>> Commission
>> 
>> >From Kalamazoo Gazette
>> 
>>  KALAMAZOO -
>>  The former director of the Michigan Commission for the Blind Training
Center here,
>> fired in February, 2010 in a dispute about a marksmanship class
>> offered to students, should get her job back, with back pay and benefits,
>> a hearing officer has ruled
>> .
>> "After careful review of all the facts and circumstances, it is clear
that (former
>> director Christine) Boone performed her work in good faith and with
reasonable diligence,"
>> arbitrator Michael P. Long wrote in his ruling, a copy of which was
provided by Boone.
>> A spokesman for the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic
Growth, which
>> oversees the training center, said via e-mail Wednesday that the
department had just
>> received the order, had not yet had an opportunity to review it, and so
had no further
>> comment.
>> Boone, 51, said she learned the news from her lawyer Tuesday that the
state labor
>> arbitrator had ruled in her favor and was "delighted" by the outcome.
>> "I came to Kalamazoo four years to be the training center's director, and
my whole
>> mission, my energy,  my time and my passion was to create an environment
where blind
>> people would be challenged and receive skills they need to enter the work
force,"
>> she told the Kalamazoo Gazette today in an interview.
>> "I'm looking forward to having an opportunity to continue the work I
started."
>> Boone was fired after her boss Patrick Cannon, director of the Michigan
Commission
>> for the Blind in Lansing, became upset to learn of a marksmanship class
being offered
>> at the school,  a year-round training facility for blind adults.
>> In the class, blind students used spring-powered pellet guns to shoot at
targets.
>> Boone said Cannon gave his verbal consent for the class; he denied that,
and said
>> the class violated state safety and firearms rules.
>> At the arbitration hearing, the record shows, Cannon argued Boone had
deceived him,
>> intending to use the class to embarrass him.
>> "It appears that there may well have been a misunderstanding or
miscommunication
>> between Ms. Boone and Mr. Cannon," Long wrote. "Ms. Boone believed she
had Mr. Cannon's
>> approval for the marksmanship class, while Mr. Cannon believes he had not
approved
>> the class.  ... If one assumes both witnesses are telling the truth,
there was simply
>> a misunderstanding, and not a work rule violation."
>> The arbitrator said it was clear to all parties that firearms are not
allowed on
>> state property, but less clear that the pellet guns used in class
constituted firearms.
>> He noted that, "Mr. Cannon, after informing Ms. Boone that the pellet
rifles were
>> "firearms," which are not allowed on state property, ordered Ms. Boone to
transport
>> the pellet rifles to his office on state property in Lansing so that he
could examine
>> them."
>> "It has not been shown that the (Boone) purposely violated any of the
rules or regulations
>> with which she is charged," the finding concludes.
>> "There is not just cause for discipline or discharge in this matter."
>> Boone, has been blind since birth. She was  hired as Director of the
Michigan Training
>> Center  for the Blind in October, 2006 by the Michigan Commission for the
Blind.
>> Best Regards,
>> J.J. Meddaugh
>> A T Guys
>> Your Assistive Technology Experts
>> (269) 216-4798
>> http://www.ATGuys.com
> 
> 
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