[nfbmi-talk] Arbitrator rules in favor of Christine Boone, former director of Michigan Commission

[joe harcz Comcast]

Wow thanks JJ I over looked that. Thanks again for pointing it out.

Peace,

Joe
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "J.J. Meddaugh" <jj at bestmidi.com>
To: "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 2:06 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] Arbitrator rules in favor of Christine 
Boone,former director of Michigan Commission


> Also, the entire ruling is linked to from that article.
>
> Best Regards,
> J.J. Meddaugh
> A T Guys
> Your Assistive Technology Experts
> (269) 216-4798
> http://www.ATGuys.com
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "joe harcz Comcast" <joeharcz at comcast.net>
> To: "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 1:47 PM
> Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] Arbitrator rules in favor of Christine 
> Boone,former director of Michigan Commission
>
>
>> Thanks JJ you beat me to the punch! Grin...
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> 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>
>> Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 1:40 PM
>> Subject: [nfbmi-talk] 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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