O! East Side Review, how ye vex me.
September 21st, 2006Yet more about the Maplewood City Council
I’ve been blissfully unaware of the local happenings concerning the whole silliness over there, but I did peruse the neighborhood paper today which carried a Katy Zillmer story - Once a city grievance, now a federal lawsuit. As I understand the story, primarily from East Side Review coverage - former Human Resources Director Sherrie Le became “former” August 11th, 2006. It appears from the outside that she and the majority of the City council didn’t see eye to eye. She filed a “hostile work environment complaint”. An investigation was done. A 60 page report resulted. And she was fired shortly after receiving the report, which said, in her words “that I am the problem.”
So now she’s filed a federal suit.
Sigh. Doesn’t this inspire confidence? Hope? Litigation. And all she wants is back pay and her job back. Yes, fighting to get her job in the “hostile work environment” back. Hmm. Just seems icky to me. Yes, icky.
And more on the East Side Review
Sadly, the standard East Side Review criticisms again need to be applied:
- most data coming from only one side of the story
- poor research
In fact, I have to wonder if not merely poor research but outright deception was in Katy Zillmer’s mind with the following quote:
Schwieger’s Web site, www.schwiegerlaw.com lists his areas of practice as criminal defense, drunk driving, juvenile delinquency, parenting issues, custody and family law, accidents and personal injury.
That’s how it’s written on the web and in print.
Here’s what’s actually on his website:
General practice including but not limited to trial, appeals and negotiations of legal matters dealing in all areas of criminal law and drunk driving, custody and family law, accidents and personal injury, and local government and politics. (emphasis mine)
I wonder why, in an article where this lawyer is being noted in the context of local government and politics, that was left out? Zillmer didn’t exactly lie, but she sure didn’t tell the truth.
Waitaminit, Ken. That text could have been added this week! Yes. But it wasn’t. That’s independent verification from a website not necessarily very fond of the current Maplewood City Council majority.
Gosh, so that’s how research works.
And by the way… I rock.
Maplewood City Council member Erik Hjelle brought a complaint to the Minnesota News Council about the KSTP TV story I commented on here and here and had a brief exchange with the reporter about. The complaint was upheld 6-4. It seems my observations about unfairness and inaccuracy in the news story were not just me having wild conservative paranoias.
UPDATE (9/22 9:30a): The Pioneer Press picks up an AP story on the MN News Council ruling. Interesting: “Hjelle called KSTP after the story aired to complain but declined a request for an interview for a follow-up story. News Council members said he was mistaken to refuse.” I agree.
I hadn’t though about the Minnesota News Council… I think I’m passing today’s little oddity on to them.
I’M BACK, BABY!
UPDATE (9/22 10pm): Here’s the report statement directly from the Minnesota News Council.
Previously on the East Side Review and the Maplewood City Council: