[Blindtlk] FW: [NFB of Nebraska Announce] Arbitrator rules in favor of Christine Boone, former director of Michigan Commission

[roberthansen1970 at gmail.com]

-----Forwarded Message-----
Date: Tuesday, June 07, 2011 7:07:29 am
To: roberthansen1970 at gmail.com
From: "NFB of Nebraska" <info at ne.nfb.org>
Subject: [NFB of Nebraska Announce]  Arbitrator rules in favor of Christine Boone, former director of Michigan Commission

-------- ARBITRATOR RULES IN FAVOR OF CHRISTINE BOONE, FORMER DIRECTOR OF
         MICHIGAN COMMISSION -------------------------------------------------

Many of you may remember the Chris and her family have several ties to us  
here in Nebraska; having lived and worked here off and on for the past  
several years.

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 http://www.ATGuys.com

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