[il-talk] FW: [Chapter-presidents] Arbitrator rules in favor of Christine Boone, former director of Michigan Commission

[David Meyer]

-----Original Message-----
From: chapter-presidents-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:chapter-presidents-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of David Andrews
Sent: Saturday, June 04, 2011 10:02 PM
To: david.andrews at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Chapter-presidents] Arbitrator rules in favor of Christine Boone,
former director of Michigan Commission


>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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