[Nfbk] FW: [Chapter-presidents] Arbitrator rulesinfavorof Christine Boone, former director of Michigan Commission

Mon Jun 6 14:16:09 UTC 2011

Yes, so do I.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Nickie Pearl" <njp at insightbb.com>
To: "NFB of Kentucky Internet Mailing List" <nfbk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, June 06, 2011 10:07 AM
Subject: Re: [Nfbk] FW: [Chapter-presidents] Arbitrator rulesinfavorof 
Christine Boone, former director of Michigan Commission


> Really! That's awesome George.  I really think this story got out of hand, 
> I
> know we don't know the whole story, but obviously, Mrs. Boone is thinking
> outside the box and really wants to make a difference.  I applaud her!
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "George" <kd4ckt at bellsouth.net>
> Sent: Monday, June 06, 2011 9:30 AM
> To: "NFB of Kentucky Internet Mailing List" <nfbk at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [Nfbk] FW: [Chapter-presidents] Arbitrator rules 
> infavorofChristineBoone, former director  of Michigan Commission
>
> I am totally blind and am a reasonably good marksman with both a hand gun
> and a rifle.
> My Dad taught me to shoot as a child, and I taught my children to do the
> same.
>
> George Stokes, NFBk
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "cindy smith" <cindy.smith8109 at insightbb.com>
> To: "NFB of Kentucky Internet Mailing List" <nfbk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, June 06, 2011 8:48 AM
> Subject: Re: [Nfbk] FW: [Chapter-presidents] Arbitrator rules in favorof
> Christine Boone, former director of Michigan Commission
>
>
>>I absolutely agree with you!
>>
>> Cindy Smith
>>
>>
>> On Jun 5, 2011, at 8:44 PM, Nickie Pearl wrote:
>>
>>> Read the following and see if you agree with me...Maybe Mr. Cannon  was
>>> just
>>> scared of what the consumers would do to him!
>>>
>>> -----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 11:02 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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>>
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