Merry Christmas to all my readers, God bless you and yours.

Welcome to Bridgeport!

Tempers flare at Bridgeport City Council meeting
Embattled Bridgeport City Council member's friends, foes square off
By Noelle Frampton
STAFF WRITER
Updated: 12/21/2009 11:56:27 PM EST



BRIDGEPORT -- The controversy surrounding the "mastah" comments of a white city councilman to a black councilwoman just got bigger.

Other prominent city leaders, both black and white, are publicly joining the fray in defense of Walsh, as the City Council awaits the scheduling of a Committee of the Whole meeting to mull possible discipline against embattled Councilman Bob Walsh, D-132, which could include expulsion.

On Monday, the City Council meeting became the scene of a near-shouting match between a former City Council president supporting Walsh and Councilwoman M. Evette Brantley.

Walsh is under fire for a message he left on Brantley's phone Oct. 15, after a meeting in which the council's Economic and Community Development and Environment Committee approved the Steel Point development agreement. In the message, he seemed to use an interpretation of a Southern slave's accent to mock her support for the agreement.

"I thought I knew Evette," said Lisa Parziale, the councilwoman who held Brantley's seat representing the 132rd district for 20 years prior to her and endorsed her as a replacement. "The way she is handling this is so inappropriate. This has been thrown 'round the newspaper."

Parziale, who was council president for a decade, told the full council during the public comment period of its Monday night meeting that she'd told Brantley to deal with the matter within the Democratic Town Committee, rather than in the public eye.

But


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Advertisement


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
she said Brantley told her she was angry because she felt no one was taking her complaint seriously, so she took it to Council President Thomas McCarthy, and then it went public.

Parziale, who is white, said she'd mentioned to Brantley earlier this year that Andre Baker, D-139, would make a good council president. If chosen, he'd be the first black man to lead the council in 25 years, she said.

"He wouldn't get my vote," she said Brantley replied. "I said, 'So Evette, this is what you get: Another white man.' "

Brantley responded, Parziale told the council, with " 'I don't give a damn about Tom McCarthy -- he could go back to picking potatoes for all I care.' ...The irony. A slur is a slur is a slur."

It was at this point that Brantley, who'd been chuckling and rolling her eyes at certain points in Parziale's five-minute speech, interjected from her council seat, "Shame on you, Lisa! Shame on you."

"Truth hurts," Parziale countered across the room, as she took her seat.

McCarthy said that the meeting couldn't be scheduled until the council voted to refer the matter for committee review, which it did on Monday, with Baker the sole opposing vote.

He said the Committee of the Whole meeting will likely occur after the holidays, when council members will hear legal advice from the city attorney's office on what actions, if any, they can take.

"I just have a very quick question for you. Weren't you missing a couple of 'mastahs' in your little speech tonight?" says Walsh's voice on the recording from Brantley's cell phone. "Shouldn't it have been, 'Thank you mastah for letting us on your property in Floridia. Thank you mastah. I've never been allowed on such a beautiful piece of property in my entire life. Thank you, mastah. You tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it."

Two weeks later, Mayor Bill Finch released a statement calling Walsh's comments "tremendously offensive."

Walsh apologized to Brantley in another message, but said she hasn't spoken to him since the comments.

A group of 20 other community leaders, several of them prominent blacks, came together in defense of Walsh in an open letter sent Sunday to the Connecticut Post.

The group, which included Baker, former Board of Education head Max Medina and former Firebird Society President Ronald Mackey, praised Walsh's record of service and indicated they don't believe he's racist.

"We freely admit that Bob Walsh has a fiery temper, one which he has employed many times to the benefit of this city," the letter states. "He has been known to utilize a tart tongue ... Bridgeport has too many real and pressing challenges to overcome for its legislative body to waste any more time on the political grandstanding and revenge politics which motivated these attacks."

Cecil Young, a community activist who frequently complains to the council about a myriad of issues, also defended Walsh on Monday.

"He was trying to send a message to us ... as people of color," Young, who is black, addressed the council. "Stop the slave mentality. Stop selling the people out."

Walsh declined to comment after the meeting.

Without naming any names, Brantley simply said, "Liar-liar-pants-on-fire -- that's all," as she left after the meeting, which was attended by about 40 people.

A woman who identified herself as a Stamford resident approached a reporter shortly after the exchange and asked, "Are Bridgeport politics always like this?"

"I thought these people would be more mature than this," she said. "I'm going back to Stamford."

Recall

TYLENOL® ARTHRITIS PAIN 100 COUNT WITH EZ-OPEN CAP RECALLED.
In consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a
Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., is voluntarily recalling all currently available bottles of TYLENOL®
Arthritis Pain Caplet 100 count. These bottles can be easily identified by a distinctive red EZ-OPEN
CAP. In November 2009, 5 lots of this product were recalled due to consumer reports of an unusual
moldy, musty or mildew-like odor that was associated with nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and
diarrhea. The recall is being expanded, as a precaution, to include all TYLENOL® Arthritis Pain
Caplet 100 count bottles with the distinctive red EZ-OPEN CAP. Only the TYLENOL® Arthritis Pain
Caplet 100s are affected by this action. All other TYLENOL® Arthritis Pain products remain available.
McNeil Consumer Healthcare will reintroduce the TYLENOL® Arthritis Pain Caplet 100 count product
by January 2010.

The uncharacteristic smell is caused by the presence of trace amounts of a chemical called
2,4,6-tribromoanisole. The source of 2,4,6-tribromoanisole is believed to be the breakdown of a
chemical used to treat wooden pallets that transport and store packaging materials. The health
effects of this compound have not been well studied, and to date, all of the observed events reported
to McNeil were temporary and non-serious.

If you have purchased TYLENOL® Arthritis Pain Caplet 100 count bottles with the EZ-Open Cap,
you should stop using the product and contact McNeil for instructions on a refund or replacement.
For these instructions or information regarding how to return or dispose of the product, please call
1-888-222-6036 (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, and Saturday-Sunday 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Eastern Time) or use our email contact form. If you have medical concerns or questions,
please contact your healthcare provider.

The affected TYLENOL® Arthritis Pain Caplet 100 count product lot numbers can be found on the
side of the bottle label. See the full list of affected product lot numbers below:

Recalled Products - Full List
UPC # Code # Lot # Product Description
0045-0838-21 8382100 07CMC011, 07DMC022,
07DMC024, 07FMC032,
07FMC033, 07GMC038,
07GMC039, 07HMC045,
07HMC051, 07HMC053,
07JMC064, 07JMC069,
07JMC070, 07JMC071,
07XMC055, 07XMC058,
07XMC062, 08AMC002,
08AMC005, 08CMC026,
08DMC029, 08EMC037,
08EMC039, 08FMC044,
08FMC045, 08GMC050,
08GMC053, 08GMC063,
08GMC065, 08JMC103,
08JMC109, 08JMC110,
08JMC111, 08KMC124,
08KMC127, 08KMC131,
08KMC132, 08XMC093,
08XMC094, 08XMC095,
09AMC010, 09CMC041,
09EMC075, 09EMC079,
09EMC076, 09GMC096,
09GMC097, 09GMC099,
09JMC118, 09JMC126,
09KMC133, 09KMC134,
09XMC114, 09XMC116

Great Words.......

Free at Last sound bite  I Have a Dream sound bites

Sounds Funny?

John G Brenner Investigations LLC

Need an investigator or case consult, call John Brenner today!
Call Toll Free 24/07 1.800.631.0981

Freedom Fighter

Neda = Patriot For Freedom.

How time has changed things..........

Weak Case>

Washington (CNN) -- Five people, including three police officers, have been indicted on charges related to the beating death of a Latino man in rural Pennsylvania in July 2008, the Justice Department said Tuesday.

Two indictments charge the five with federal hate crimes, obstruction of justice and conspiracy in what authorities are calling a racially motivated attack.

The indictments come almost six months after a Schuylkill County jury acquitted two teens of aggravated assault and one of murder in the death of Luis Ramirez.

The undocumented Mexican immigrant was beaten into a coma during a street brawl involving the teens and their friends on a residential street in Shenandoah. The incident divided the small, rural mining town along racial lines and became a flash point for racial tensions nationwide.

After the verdict, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell denounced the attack as racially motivated and called on the Justice Department to intervene.

A federal grand jury handed up the indictments last week, and they were unsealed Tuesday. The two young men, Derrick Donchak and Brandon Piekarsky, are accused of a hate crime for beating Ramirez while shouting racial epithets at him, according to the department.

If convicted of hate crime charges, Donchak and Piekarsky face a maximum penalty of life in prison. Donchak also faces a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted of obstruction, and an additional five years on the charge of conspiring to obstruct justice.

Donchak also faces three counts of conspiring to obstruct justice and related offences. He is accused of attempting to orchestrate a coverup with members of the Shenandoah Police Department, the Justice Department said.

Shenandoah Police Chief Matthew Nestor and Lt. William Moyer and Officer Jason Hayes are charged with conspiring to obstruct justice in the Ramirez investigation. Moyer faces additional charges of witness and evidence tampering and making false statements to the FBI.

Nestor, Moyer and Hayes intentionally failed to "memorialize or record" statements made by Piekarsky about the incident, and "wrote false and misleading official reports" that "intentionally omitted information about the true nature of the assault and the investigation," the indictment said.

Nestor, Moyer and Hayes each face up to 20 years in prison on each of the obstruction charges if convicted, authorities said, along with an additional five years on the charges of conspiring to obstruct justice. Moyer faces an additional five years if convicted of making false statements to the FBI.

At the time of Ramirez's death, Hayes was dating Piekarsky's mother and Moyer's son was a high school freshman who played football with the youths involved in the attack, according to the indictment.

State prosecutors alleged that a group of teens including Donchak and Piekarsky, then 19 and 17, baited Ramirez into a confrontation after a night of drinking. Donchak and Piekarsky were walking home from a local festival when they encountered Ramirez and attacked him, "striking and kicking him while members of the group yelled racial slurs at him," the Justice Department said.

Prosecutors alleged Piekarsky delivered a fatal kick to Ramirez's head after Ramirez was knocked to the ground. A medical examiner ruled Ramirez died from blunt-force trauma to the head.

In June, an all-white Pennsylvania jury acquitted Piekarsky of third-degree murder and convicted him and Donchak of misdemeanor simple assault. The two were also found not guilty of aggravated assault, ethnic intimidation and hindering apprehension.

Donchak was convicted of corrupting minors for providing the alcohol to his friends before the fight. The two were sentenced to up to 23 months in the county jail.

After the verdict, Rendell sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder recommending the Justice Department pursue civil rights charges.

"The evidence suggests that Mr. Ramirez was targeted, beaten and killed because he was Mexican," Rendell wrote. "Such lawlessness and violence hurts not only the victim of the attack, but also our towns and communities that are torn apart by such bigotry and intolerance."

Gladys Limon, an attorney representing Crystal Dillman, Ramirez's fiancee, said Dillman welcomes the indictments, but remains fearful for her safety. Dillman has moved to an undisclosed location outside Shenandoah. Her truck was vandalized, and some people have yelled racial epithets at her on the streets, the attorney said.

"She is overwhelmed and is feeling a range of emotions," Limon said. "His family has suffered a great deal in the past year."

It has been particularly hard for Ramirez's family as the holidays approach, she said.

"The children miss their father. Crystal misses having him around for the holidays," Limon said. "Crystal says this is a gift from God, that this will bring justice to Luis."

A petition calling for federal charges in the case garnered 50,000 signatures, Limon said.

A hearing in the case was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon in federal court in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

"The FBI wants to hear from anyone who may have information regarding alleged civil rights violations or public corruption in Schuylkill County," the Justice Department said Tuesday. Those with information can contact the Allentown, Pennsylvania, FBI office.

CNN's Emanuella Grinberg, Rose Arce and Jacinth Planer contributed to this report.

Men in Nursing

"Times and rules have changed a lot since I was first in nursing school back in the ’60s,” recalls Eddie Hebert, R.N., B.S.N., director of nurses at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Houma, La. “However, many of the prejudices which males faced back then are still with us today.”

“For example, I was not allowed to enter the delivery room because I was a male student, but had to stand at the door of the room to catch a glimpse of the delivery,” he explains. “I was also not allowed to have a female patient. This all had to do with gender.”

Hebert also remembers studying textbooks that made no mention of the male gender—except as the patient. “All educational materials were oriented to the female gender,” he notes. “Males were seen in nursing texts as the anatomy to be studied—the one in need of female assistance. Every picture seemed to identify the nurse as the ‘caring female individual,’ while the patient was always a ‘male in need of care.’”



However, that was almost 40 years ago, some may argue. Certainly the bias and prejudices toward men in nursing that existed at that time no longer exist. Right?

Wrong, according to Gene Tranbarger, Ed.D., R.N., CNAA, associate professor of nursing at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. “Open discrimination against men is fast disappearing from schools of nursing but remains imbedded in the school fabric,” he observes. “The faculty still relies on feminine pronouns when discussing nurses. Male nurses who wish to work in obstetrics/gynecology still face obstacles and often have to resort to legal remedies.”

What about male nurses who happen to be racial/ethnic minorities? Do they face similar issues as non-minority male nurses, or do they experience a whole other array of issues? Though there is no single united viewpoint or experience that speaks for all minority men in nursing, theirs is a voice that is growing in strength and numbers. It is a voice that loudly proclaims the importance of the nursing profession reflecting the diversity of its patient population—including gender.

Lingering Stereotypes
Approximately 5.4% of the 2.1 million R.N.s employed in nursing in the United States are men, according to the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses conducted in March 1996 by the Health Resources and Services Administration. Of these working male R.N.s, the racial and ethnic breakdown is:

“The last survey showed a progressively aging work force and that we needed to do more to encourage young people from diverse backgrounds to go into nursing,” says Vincent C. Rogers, D.D.S., M.P.H., the HRSA’s associate administrator for health professions. “The 2000 survey results will help us develop policies and programs to strengthen the nurse work force in practice and education.”

The survey also found that roughly 13% of students enrolled in nursing schools are men. Dwight Elliott, a senior in nursing at East Carolina University, is one of two men in his class of approximately 80 students. “I am the only black male in my graduating class,” he notes. “It has been kind of tough being a black male in a predominantly white female profession. I’ve caught some looks like, ‘What is he doing in nursing? He doesn’t look like a nurse.’ I feel like I must work twice as hard as others because one, I’m black, and two, I am a male.”

Elliott is not the only one turning heads as a male nurse. Ifeanyi John Nwokocha, R.N., B.S.N., a staff nurse at La Rabida Children’s Hospital in Chicago, recalls receiving a few strange glances himself while at a previous nursing job. He explains, “When I used to work in med/surg, I got reactions like, ‘Oh—a male nurse?’ I even got questions like, ‘Are you an orderly?’ People do not expect to see a black male nurse.”

Elliott agrees, noting that nursing has traditionally been a white female profession. “I feel that as more men come into nursing, [men as nurses] will become more widely accepted. My family and friends ask, ‘You want to be a nurse? Why not a doctor?’ I guess they feel that traditionally males are doctors and females are nurses.”

Stereotypes of nurses as being female and white have persisted throughout the years but do seem to be lessening as the number of minorities (including men) in the nursing profession has gradually increased.

Francisco Navarro, R.N., a nurse at La Rabida Children’s Hospital, has seen the effects of such stereotypes firsthand. “Some of the kids [I work with] have a hard time dealing with the fact that I am a nurse because they say that only women can be nurses,” he explains. This bothers Navarro, who believes the notion that only women are nurses is an idea the children learned from schoolmates or family. He also notes that society often labels male nurses as being homosexual.

To some extent, male nurses have been viewed as being different or gay due to their close working relationship with women combined with the assumption that nurses are female, believes Hebert. “For many years, nurses were considered the ‘handmaids’ of the physician,” he observes. “Today, things are a little different. Physicians have come to realize that nurses are much smarter than given credit for years ago. Nurses are now moving into higher management roles and are more educated than in the past.”

Hebert also feels that society is slowly becoming more comfortable with men as nurses. “Although people may feel a little uncomfortable at first sight of a male nurse, they will quickly come to trust and respect him for his professionalism.” He also believes that unlike female nurses, male nurses have had to prove themselves before being accepted.

“Because of years of publicity and propaganda, [the image of nurses] is fixed in the mind of the general public as being white and female and trustworthy. Minorities in nursing do not have this image.”

It’s Not Always a Man’s World
So how has the stereotype of the white female nurse affected minority men in nursing? The responses range from “a lot” to “not at all.” For Nwokocha, the stereotype has hurt.

“Right now where I’m working, they treat me with respect,” he says. “But in my experience, when it comes time for promotions, I feel like the male minority nurse lags behind.

“For example, when I worked in psych at another hospital, I was bypassed [for a promotion]. Even though I knew the unit very well, they bypassed me and gave the position to another person. I feel like it was because I’m black and I’m male. All the promotions there were given to females.”

Bernard Smith, R.N., M.S.N., clinical educator and recruiter at Benjamin Rush Hospital in Syracuse, N.Y., observes that it is sometimes more difficult for male nurses to work in certain specialties (e.g., women’s health) than others. He remembers, “There was at least one physician (in obstetrics) who did not want us around his patients. He did not want any male nurses around his patients.”

Navarro agrees that it is harder for a male nurse to work in women’s health than in other areas of nursing. “I could never work in a maternity unit,” he says. “There was one instance while I was in school when I was asked to interpret for a new mother who did not speak English. My instructor was showing the mother how to hold her breast and the newborn so that the baby would latch on to her breast. I could tell that the mother was uncomfortable—she would not feed her baby while I was present. Her feeling uncomfortable made me feel uncomfortable; I felt as if I did not belong in that environment.”

Both minority and non-minority men in nursing face similar issues, believes Hebert. As a board member of the American Assembly for Men in Nursing, an organization for nurses to discuss and influence the issues that affect men in nursing, Hebert hears of the discrimination and harassment experienced by some of AAMN’s members.

“The fact that male nurses are not given equal opportunity to move up in the ranks or are being denied equal employment opportunities is repeatedly heard during our annual conferences by our membership,” he states. “Many male nurses are denied [the opportunity to work in] certain areas in hospitals, such as labor and delivery units, or nursery units. In my 30 years as a nurse, I have seen many unfair practices in which male nurses and minorities were passed up for promotions due to gender. This practice continues today and is slowly surfacing in courts throughout the country.”

Neutralizing the Gender Issue
At the same time, some men in nursing have experienced no repercussions from the “nurses are women” stereotype and have actually received positive treatment because of their gender.

For example, Ramon Lavandero, R.N., M.A., M.S.N., director of the International Leadership Institute of Sigma Theta Tau International, headquartered in Indianapolis, had a very positive experience working in obstetrics. As one of the first men to go through an obstetrics class at Columbia University’s School of Nursing in New York, Lavandero found the faculty to be extremely supportive, contacting him even before the course began to see if he had any questions or concerns about being the first (and only) male in the class.

“Some people might consider that favoritism because it wasn’t done for the women,” Lavandero says. “On the other hand, it was an acknowledgment of a new circumstance, and they were planning ahead.”

In fact, Lavandero was offered three different positions within the women’s health service after graduation. He believes his experience working in obstetrics taught him an important lesson about the role of gender in nursing. As he explains, “I learned that in great part, I had the upper hand depending on how I treated and dealt with other people. If I was comfortable and didn’t see my gender as being a distraction, then there was no issue. If I was assigned a woman as a patient and if I was at all unsure as I interacted with that patient, then it would become a question.

“So I would go in and say to the patient, ‘My name is so-and-so, and I’m the nurse who will be working with you today.’ Ninety-nine percent of the time, there was never any question. There were a few times when, for example, a mother in postpartum requested a female nurse because she felt she would be more comfortable with a woman. But we had set a very comfortable tone. I can’t really say I have problems because of my gender any more than a woman nurse might occasionally have a problem with a male patient.”

Lavandero agrees that there are stereotypes of women in nursing but emphasizes that there are stereotypes attached to many other careers. “There are stereotypes that soldiers in combat duty are men,” he points out. “Well, you know where that can lead in terms of stereotypes. In the same way, there are stereotypes of men in nursing just like there are stereotypes of women in nursing—just like there are stereotypes of women who teach physical education and of men in engineering.”

Finding Strength in Numbers
Given these stereotypes, what can men in nursing do to find camaraderie?

Join organizations that support men in nursing, encourages Hebert. “There is voice in numbers, and you should seek your special interest organization and see if they will stand behind you and support your issues of concern.”

One such organization is the American Assembly of Men in Nursing, of which Tranbarger is president-elect. “We are a small group of male nurses and their supporters and represent a wide diversity of age, educational background, work experience, sexual orientation, ethnicity and almost any other characteristics one can think of,” he says. “I look forward to each meeting so I can interact with others who share my work, my experiences, my concerns and my hopes for the future.

“I must also add that I enjoy greatly our dedicated women members who share our beliefs that nursing is a profession, not a gender-based occupation,” adds Tranbarger. “AAMN is a healthy organization of men and women and is better because of all who join us.”

Each year, AAMN holds a conference, rotating the theme so that one year focuses on men’s health issues and the next focuses on issues of gender in nursing. “Diverse Nurses for a Diverse World” is the theme of this year’s conference, which will be held in Seattle from November 30 to December 2.

Another organization which offers support to nurses is Sigma Theta Tau International, an honor society of nursing with over 120,000 active members. As part of the International Leadership Institute, the Chiron Mentor-Fellow Program was started in January 2000 to provide the opportunity for individualized leadership development to members of Sigma Theta Tau. Although there were not any men involved in the program at the time of this article’s writing, Lavandero states, “We very much would like to have men involved. We really would like it to be a very diverse program.” He encourages potential mentors to identify a potential fellow and to apply to the program as a pair, believing it to be a valuable way for an experienced nurse and mentor to help another person to develop.

Other sources of support can be one’s fellow nurses—both men and women; it is important not to adopt an “us against them” mentality and alienate those of the opposite gender. Smith urges male nurses to develop friendships with their female colleagues.

“By far, [female nurses] are going to be your greatest source of support and strength,” says Smith. “They always have been for me—just by the sheer weight of their numbers, if for no other reason. But it’s more than that. I’ve learned so much from the women who are colleagues of mine.”

Reflecting the Face of Society
In order to encourage other men to enter the nursing profession, Nwokocha speaks with high school students on an informal basis.

“I meet the students through my nephew,” he explains. “He introduces me to his friends: ‘This is my uncle. He’s a nurse.’ And the students come to me and say, ‘Oh, you’re a nurse? How do you like it? What’s it like being a male nurse?’ Some of the students are excited—they want to become nurses, too. But they also want to hear what it’s like from someone who’s a man. So I talk to them, giving them advice and telling them what nursing entails.”

Tranbarger believes the best way to encourage minorities (including men) to consider nursing as a career is first to speak well of nursing as a profession. “No one wants to join a group that dislikes their work,” he says. “We also need to make schools of nursing more welcoming to non-females and non-whites. Language, symbols and policies all need to give each person a full and fair chance at success or failure.

“I do not know a man who wants an advantage in nursing,” he continues. “Every man I know just wants a fair chance. I think that is true for other minorities as well.”

Lavandero offers some additional insight on this issue. “Rather than simply saying, ‘We need more minority nurses,’ I would phrase it as, ‘We need more men and more people from varied ethnic and cultural backgrounds in nursing because that is the composition of our society today.’ In general, what nurses really bring to the table is an ability to help identify the health care needs of the patients and families in our communities. If we are not representative of our [patient population], then it becomes a lot more difficult to identify and meet those needs.”

Aborn and Brenner, Take a LOOK!

Click

Discovery Law Group Multi-Media Trial Technology & Investigative Services is a full-service, professional video production company dedicated to assisting the legal community. Fully insured, our video team is Notary certified and/or a Certified Legal Video Specialist (CLVS) under the sponsorship of the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA). Whether your case is large or small, we strive to provide every service necessary to make your proceedings go as smoothly as possible. Discovery Law Group Multi-Media Trial Technology & Investigative Services provides professional quality settlement and Day-In-The-Life of video designed to emphasize the value of your case. With years of experience, we have helped law firms win settlement awards at significant levels. We use a proprietary production method for bringing life to a case through the use of a high impact documentary style of film and film editing. our production team members have won numerous awards for their production and editing. In addition to video production, we offer a full array of investigative and training services from legal media relations to law enforcement training to court testimony trial preparation. The majority of our work is repeat business and referrals from our existing clients

The phone is owned by the PD!

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- When Ontario, California, Police Sgt. Jeff Quon used his city-issued text messaging pager to exchange hundreds of personal messages, some of a "sexually explicit" nature, did he have a right to expect those messages would be kept private?

The Supreme Court decided Monday that it will determine whether a police officer has a "reasonable expectation" of privacy on his official wireless two-way text-messaging pager.

The justices accepted a pair of appeals on this free-speech and privacy dispute, and will hear oral arguments in the spring.

At issue is how far a government employer may go to monitor the private communications of its workers when they believe that the use of such equipment is being abused.

And the court will explore whether service providers can be held liable for providing those communications without the consent of the sender.

Courts have said that private communications -- even when delivered or transmitted through a public portal -- are generally protected from "unreasonable search and seizure," such as handwritten letters sent in sealed envelopes through the U.S. Postal Service.

The department has a "Computer Usage, Internet and E-mail Policy" that gives workers only limited use for personal communications. Quon signed a statement acknowledging that "use of these tools for personal benefit is a significant violation of City of Ontario Policy" and that "users should have no expectation of privacy or confidentiality when using these resources."

Quon, a SWAT team sergeant, claimed that he was unaware the city's overall policy applied to the department and said there was an "informal policy [that] allowed officers to maintain their privacy in their text messages as long as they paid the overage charges."

The city's contract with Arch Wireless, now known as USA Mobility, allowed for a 25,000-character limit per month, per device, before overage charges kicked in. Quon acknowledged that he exceeded the limit at least several times and paid the extra charges out of his personal funds, as required by his bosses.

Both sides agree that Quon's supervisor grew "tired of being a bill collector" of his text-happy officers, and the chief of police ordered a review of the pager transcripts for the two officers with the highest overage, one of whom was Quon.

Officials claimed in court that the review was done only "to determine whether the city's monthly character limit was insufficient to cover business-related messages."

It was only in reading the transcripts voluntarily provided by Arch Wireless from its electronic archives that the often-racy messages to his wife, his girlfriend and a fellow officer were revealed, prompting an internal department investigation.

A review of one month found that Quon had sent and received 456 personal messages while on duty, an average of 28 per shift, and only three were deemed work-related. A federal court judge characterized many of the messages as not "light personal communications," as defined in the policy as generally acceptable, but words that were, "to say the least, sexually explicit in nature."

Quon sued the wireless company and the city for invasion of privacy. That suit and any possible disciplinary action against the officer has been put on hold pending resolution of the larger legal questions.

A federal appeals court had ruled for Quon. Because "the [police] department opted to review the contents of all the messages, work-related and personal, without the consent of Quon, we held that the search was excessively intrusive in light of the noninvestigatory object of the search," wrote the three-judge panel.

This case deals within the context only of government employees, and legal and technology experts are divided over its application in the private sector, where employees may enjoy less constitutional protection.

The city of Ontario is in San Bernardino County, about 37 miles east of Los Angeles.

The case is USA Mobility Wireless Inc. v. Quon (08-1332).

• Also Monday, the Supreme Court, as expected, dismissed another challenge from several former Guantanamo Bay detainees over their claims of torture and religious discrimination.

Four British men, all Muslims and onetime prisoners at the U.S. military prison in Cuba, had sued former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other top Pentagon officials, saying they knew of and condoned physical abuse and denial of rights guaranteed under international law.

A federal appeals court had rejected a lawsuit -- the second one filed by the men -- saying the officials had immunity from such claims.

But in June 2008, the Supreme Court allowed Guantanamo prisoners to challenge their captivity in federal court, and a year ago, the justices urged the lower court to reconsider its decision against the British detainees.

In the government filing this fall, Solicitor General Elena Kagan told the high court to exercise caution in granting what she called "new rights" to detained foreign fighters suing for damages in a military setting. The high court, she noted, had previously told lower courts "to pay particular heed to any special factors counseling hesitation before authorizing a new kind of federal litigation."

The prisoners alleged that their captors beat them, confined them in painful stress positions and used dogs to intimidate the Muslim men during a period from 2002-04. They also claim being forced to shave their beards and being denied prayer mats and religious texts. One foreign fighter suspect also claimed that a military guard threw a copy of the Quran in a toilet, a major insult to the Islamic faith.

The case is Rasul v. Myers (09-227).

H5 Virus

What Makes One H5 Virus Strain More Deadly than Another?
Most flu researchers agree that currently the most worrisome strain of avian influenza is H5N1, a highly lethal strain that has been infecting poultry and people in Southeast Asia. But what makes one H5 strain more deadly than another?


David Wentworth, Ph.D.
David Wentworth, Ph.D., an NIAID-supported researcher with Wadsworth Center, the state of New York’s health laboratory, wonders if a clue may be surreptitiously lurking within the H5 gene.

Dr. Wentworth is investigating a suspicious segment of RNA, the genetic material of flu genes, that he first discovered while doing graduate work with Virginia Hinshaw, Ph.D., at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The segment—called a promoter because it is able to turn a gene on or off—was discovered on the HA gene of a H5N9 virus that was killing turkeys in Ontario, Canada. But unlike normal promoters that precede the genes they direct, this promoter is hidden within the gene. Dr. Wentworth wants to find out if the segment is doing more than just occupying space.

“We’re curious whether this segment might lead to something—a new protein, perhaps,” says Dr. Wentworth. “If so, we’d like to know what the protein’s function is. Does it determine virulence, or does it have a different function altogether?”

Using reverse genetics, Dr. Wentworth is recreating the Ontario strain and comparing what happens when the promoter is fully functional with what happens when mutations are introduced to disable the promoter. When the promoter is intact, the H5 strain has been found to be highly lethal in the laboratory, killing 100 percent of infected chickens within 72 hours. His hope is that what he learns could be helpful in the event the H5N1 virus become a pandemic.

“The goal of this study is to understand at a molecular level the mechanisms that influenza viruses employ to cause disease,” he says. “If we can find what makes some strains so virulent, then perhaps we can address those key features through drugs and other antiviral approaches

Circa 1931

Kids

John G. Brenner of John G. Brenner Investigations LLC Author Tips for Parents with Concerns of Internet Safety and Their Children

WESTPORT, CT, 12/11/2009 --(PR.com)-- John G Brenner RN, MS is the CEO of John G Brenner Investigations LLC. Mr. Brenner has extensive law enforcement experience as the retired commanding officer of the Bridgeport Police Major Crime Unit along with working as an investigator for the Central Intelligence Agency. Mr. Brenner earned a graduate degree in criminal Justice from Boston University, has undergraduate degrees in forensics and nursing and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

Containing The Threat Of On-Line Sexual Predictors By John G. Brenner RN. MS.

-- Dateline NBC’s reality show “To Catch a Predator” quickly gained a national following.
-- Volunteer adults routinely go online to pose as youngsters, trying to catch dangerous marauders.
-- Even some universities now teach students up-to-the-minute techniques to track down online offenders.

John G. Brenner applaud all these efforts. "They not only promote initiative and self-reliance, but they come at a time when we can’t look to the police or government to fully rectify the problem. They just don’t have the needed funds or resources" Brenner said.

- There are currently only 650,000 active duty police officers in the United States (Bureau of Justice Statistics, Oct. 2008)
- Many major cities, including Bridgeport, CT, are laying off police officers
- The nation faces shrinking local, state and federal crime prevention budgets

Police lack the needed manpower to put into long-term investigations. Typically, they’re working one case as two more come through the door.

Take many of the country’s Computer Crime Task Forces, for example. At any time, full-time officers on these forces actively try to engage predators online; and these are just the ones they can identify. The majority go unidentified.

And remember that laws won’t bar a sick personality. If someone is committed enough, they’ll find a way. "We’re talking psychopathology. These are people who don’t follow society’s moral compass" Brenner said.

Here are some common sense advice for parents:

- Keep computers out of bedrooms and other private rooms of the house.
- Don’t let your children add people they don’t know to IM and buddy lists.
- Teach them to avoid talking about sex online, in e-mail, and in chat rooms.

Mr. Brenner is a firm believer that kids have minimal privacy rights. It’s a dangerous world, and a lot of times they don’t know what they’re getting in to. Parents need to keep lines of communication open with their children, " a strong parent is actively watching what thier children do on-line" Brenner said.

That said, there’s also a reality to the situation – if you require extra measures to safeguard your child’s safety online, seek a well-credentialed private investigator. This is where the private sector can, and is, picking up the slack.

Investigators – both public and private -- can learn the identity of someone online through proven investigative means. And private software now exists to track online activity, including all key strokes and user names localized to a single computer used by your child (it would be possibly criminal using such technology for compromising someones constitutional rights).

Private investigators will thoroughly investigate facts and circumstances of a case, and turn over findings to lawyers or the police. It’s a real option, and it’s out there for families who need it.

If you find the tracking and catching of predators online a complex business, you’re not alone. For Starters, regulations vary widely. Connecticut is one of just 12 states that list online sex offender databases on official state servers. Connecticut’s site includes physical descriptions, dates of birth and details of the offense.

But the completeness of registries and databases – online or in print -- varies from state to state. Also, and perhaps more importantly, being listed on a registry can’t stop a predator from surfing the net incognito.

In Utah, for example, a convicted sex offender who is no longer on probation or parole won the right in September to surf the Internet anonymously, using untracked screen names. U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell overturned a Utah state ruling on the matter.

While she acknowledged these are new and untested legal waters, Judge Campbell ultimately cited free speech under the First Amendment. You can always get the other side of the argument, but Mr. Brenner understands her message about protecting the Constitution and protecting free speech.

The good news, such as it is, is that online sexual predators rarely resort to violence or abduction, according the Crimes against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire. No, such knowledge won’t guarantee you a restful night’s sleep, but it does offer some insight.

So where does that leave us? When all is said and done, a partnership between public and private investigators, and a mutual spirit of cooperation, is what it takes to get the job done, but most importantly Mr. Brenner believes that the parents are the true safeguard.

hire a pi

What to Look for When You Hire A ‘Private Eye’

By John G. Brenner RN, MS


Private detectives like Sam Spade and Mike Hammer make for great summer reading. They’re all about swagger,
bending rules and roughing up the bad guy. So turn to them if you’re looking for a juicy page turner for the beach –
but not if you’re looking to hire a private investigator.


With the current slowdown in the economy, it’s getting harder to know who to trust. Businesses are searching harder
for customers -- and with that, scams abound. Those seeking the services of a private investigator often becoming
victims to those scams.


Whether you’re a private citizens, law firm, police department, corporation or organization, you’re trying to protect your
interests – to scope out suspicious, fraudulent or even illegal conduct. But too often you, yourself, become a target.


So I’ve put together a “Brenner Top 10” set of guidelines to ensure your private investigator is on the up and up. Here’
s the list. Always look for a professional who:


1. Is licensed to practice, and sticks by local, state and federal regulations. The majority of states, including
Connecticut, require private detectives and investigators to be licensed. This is a great way to weed out those not
qualified to practice. Also check that they’re bonded and insured.


2. Belongs to an industry organization, state or federal, and follow its ethics code. In Connecticut, look for membership
in the Connecticut Association of Licensed Private Investigators (CALPI).


3. Obeys the Constitution. I enjoy Clint Eastwood movies as much as the next guy, but there’s no room for “Dirty
Harry” vigilante justice in our society. A true professional never seeks to manipulate the law or bend rules.


4. Documents everything. Seek a professional who never tampers with or compromises evidence, no matter how small
or seemingly insignificant. Every cigarette and soda bottle can become a valuable clue or lead.


5. Has a reputation for honest dealings with clients. Do a little sleuthing before you hire your sleuth. A professional with
a sturdy moral compass NEVER puts clients in unethical or illegal situations. Also look for prior incidences of consumer
complaints, bankruptcies, domestic violence, sex offenses, or tax evasion.


6. Makes available their qualifications and education. A college degree is a must. A graduate degree is preferred, as
well as prior experience within a specialty area such as forensics. A background in law enforcement, military or
government is usually recommended.


7. Pursues nonviolent means to get answers. Violent detectives have been a norm in television shows since the ‘70s.
And in real life, the use of tasers and guns are all too common in crime solving scenarios. A professional private eye
follows strict procedure -- using violence only as a last resort, and only with cause.


8. Can write well. It’s not obvious criteria, but it makes a difference. Poor spelling and grammar will translate into
sloppy reports and documentation. Properly detailed notes can make any case; improper reports can, and will, break
them.


9. Has a diverse background. A range of experiences and skills brings an ability to approach your case from different
and fresh angles. Look for a professional who’s well-rounded. Avoid practitioners who are rigidly bound to one narrow
mindset.


10. Stays in control of any situation, whether it involves surveillance or search, and won’t be manipulated by any party.
Your private sleuth won’t cut corners, or get personally involved with the parties involved. Private investigators play by
the rules. Always.

If you’re turning to private detectives for protection, or to right wrongs in a personal or business matter, you deserve
professionalism. The image of the private eye as shady and hard-boiled, with a smoky cigar and foul mouth, should be
long behind us – or at least reserved to good fiction. I know Mickey Spillane would understand.

# # #

John Brenner is a retired and decorated police lieutenant with the Major Crime Unit of the Bridgeport Police. He holds
graduate degrees in law enforcement from the Boston University. He also graduated from the FBI National Academy
and the CIA Investigator/Security Program. In addition, Mr. Brenner brings training as a registered nurse to his crime
scene and forensic investigations. Contact: (203) 951-6241,
website: www.johngbrenner.com , e-mail: John.Brenner@sbcglobal.net.

Four police officers fatally shot in a Washington coffee shop last month were "the best of who we can be," Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire told thousands of people gathered at the officers' memorial service on Tuesday.

Nearly 20,000 people -- mostly police officers from across the United States and Canada -- attended the service in the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington, CNN affiliate KIRO reported.

"Sgt. Mark Renninger [and] officers Tina Griswold, Ron Owens and Greg Richards were the best of who we can be: Dedicated leaders and citizens who cared for their community," Gregoire said at the service.

The Lakewood police officers -- Renninger, 39; Griswold, 40; Owens, 37; and Richards, 42 -- were fatally shot November 29 in a coffee shop near Lakewood by an Arkansas parolee with a lengthy criminal history, police said.

The suspect, Maurice Clemmons, 37, was shot dead by a Seattle, Washington, police officer two days later after a manhunt that stretched across the Seattle and Tacoma areas.



Video: Thousands gather for funeral
RELATED TOPICS
Murder and Homicide
Maurice Clemmons
Lakewood
Before the service Tuesday, a procession of thousands of police vehicles went from McChord Air Force Base to the Tacoma Dome, taking several hours to complete, KIRO reported. In the dome, colleagues and relatives took to the podium to recall the fallen officers, each of whom had children.

KIRO: Local coverage of memorial

Renninger was recalled as a dedicated SWAT member who loved NASCAR. Owens and Griswold were remembered for their love of motorcycle rides, and Richards for jamming with a band.

"If these officers were here this afternoon, to an officer they would tell you, 'On November 29, I was doing my duty.' And there is no higher calling than to do one's duty, and they served well," Lakewood Mayor Doug Richardson said.

Five people, including a man who identified himself as Clemmons' half-brother and neighbor, have been charged on suspicion of helping Clemmons elude police after the shooting, according to court documents

By Noelle Frampton
STAFF WRITER
Updated: 12/06/2009 03:54:46 PM EST



BRIDGEPORT -- The settlement between the city and 12 white firefighters who were bumped down the promotional list when a test was re-scored last year will cost the city more than $100,000 -- a price tag some call relatively cheap.

The city will pay about $22,594 in retroactive lieutenant wages to five firefighters under the Nov. 30 settlement of lawsuits filed over the re-scored exam, as well as pay lieutenant wages for the next two years to three white firefighters who had been promoted to lieutenant, but were demoted back to firefighters Wednesday to make way for the others.

"It was a good deal for the city," said Associate City Attorney John Mitola, who worked on the case. "More importantly, it was a good deal for the Fire Department because we're moving on now. The city also agreed to pay $75,000 in legal fees to the plaintiffs' law firm, Cohen and Wolf, and $2,000 to the fire union, Local 834, for costs associated with the case.

Nineteen firefighters have been promoted since the city released its re-scored promotional list in July 2008, 18 of them in August 2008, according to documents filed with the settlement. Most would have been promoted anyway, but ranked differently. Four were promoted Wednesday as a result of the settlement.

The plaintiffs, including a Puerto Rican, had filed suit in federal court last April, eight months after several of them were denied promotions to lieutenant when the city re-scored the exam. The re-scoring


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Advertisement


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
lowered the standing of each on the list, said Courtney George, a lawyer with Cohen and Wolf who worked on the case.

The 2006 test was re-scored and re-ranked when James Outtz, a nationally-known test consultant, found the results had been weighted unfavorably against minority candidates.

As a result, city officials changed the original grading from 50 percent written, 45 percent oral and 5 percent seniority to 75 percent oral and 25 percent written, which allowed more minorities to pass and "minimized" the test's disparate impact, Mitola said.

Settlement of the lawsuits was negotiated over the last several months and announced Tuesday, after lawyers recognized that this year's U.S. Supreme Court ruling on a similar case in New Haven bolstered the Bridgeport plaintiffs' position. The high court had ruled in favor of a group of white firefighters who made similar arguments.

The racial makeup of the Bridgeport promotional list was not substantially affected by the settlement, George said.

"In our view, there was no significant difference," she said.

Retired Firefighter Ronald Mackey, former president of the Firebird Society, an organization of black and Hispanic firefighters, agreed, and took issue with the deal.

"Out of all of these who will get promoted, only one is black and all of those who will be getting a free pay raise while not performing their job are all white," he said in an e-mail, adding that only one black and one Hispanic will be promoted from the list of 36 candidates.

Donald Day, another former Firebird president and retired fire captain, had a similar view.

"I am outraged and appalled that the city will pay people lieutenant's pay for two years in these tough economic times," Day state in an e-mail. "The Fire and Police departments make pay concessions with the city, then to have the city give money away to individuals that don't deserve it defies credulity. What about those city employees who took furloughs and other means to save the city money? This is illegal, because they will be carried on the table of organization as lieutenants and the Fire Department is budgeted for only a certain amount of officers. If this allowed to happen then they would be stacking positions, in violation of the law."

As of June 30, local firefighter pay ranges from $41,544 to $54,462, while lieutenant pay ranges from $60,604 to $62,629, according to Fire Department administration, so paying three people at the higher rank for two years would cost more than $36,000.

But it's unlikely the city will have to pay that, Mitola said, explaining that the three demoted men are Nos. 21, 22 and 23 on the list, meaning there is only one firefighter on the list between them and promotion, he said.

"We doubt very much that they're going to be earning lieutenants' salaries for two years without acting as lieutenants," he said. "We think that they're going to be reached in the next several months."

Mitola said the three demoted men could have refused to settle and forced the city to continue to trial in a case it would likely lose due to the Supreme Court's ruling in the New Haven case, thereby delaying a resolution for another six months to a year and racking up much larger legal fees -- likely about $200,000.

Paying the demoted men isn't illegal because the city charter allows for laid-off employees to be placed on a "recall list," which is what is happening in this case, he said, adding, "There's something fundamentally unfair about them being demoted."

Plus, there is the legal protection of a federal judge's OK of the agreement, he said.

The city could have had a much worse outcome in this case, Mitola said, adding that the $75,000 didn't cover all attorneys' fees, but was a compromise.

"Is it a perfect settlement for everyone? No," Mitola said. "But that's what I think makes it a good settlement, because everyone gave up something."

Plaintiffs in the Bridgeport firefighter reverse discrimination lawsuits were: Timothy Bottone of Newtown, Matthew Deysenroth of Redding, Michael Donovan of Hamden, Steven Earl and Francis McNellis Jr., both of Monroe, Joseph LaChioma of Derby, Robert Novak of Shelton, David Purcell of Milford, Mike Raffalo of Wethersfield, Phil Reeves of Wilton and Timothy Richmond of Oxford. Also a plaintiff in the lawsuit was Roberto Diaz of Naugatuck, listed as Caucasian and Puerto Rican. All of the plaintiffs passed the initial promotional exam on Dec. 18, 2006, which was scored and ranked in September 2007. Based on those results, Novak, Ruffalo, Deysenroth, Bottone and Purcell finished among the top 16 candidates for 16 vacancies. However, Ruffalo, Bottone and Purcell were denied promotions when the city in July 2008 decided to change the test scoring. Those demoted from lieutenant positions on Wednesday were: Thomas Connolly, David Dobbs and Joseph Pellagi.

Strong work by AG!

AG: Facility is "medical nightmare"

Updated: Friday, 04 Dec 2009, 6:21 PM EST
Published : Friday, 04 Dec 2009, 3:26 PM EST

Ridgefield (WTNH) - The Attorney General and the Department of Public Health Commissioner are suspending a plastic surgeon's facility's license after describing the facility as a "medical nightmare."

The violations were so severe, that Blumenthal obtained an emergency order from the Department of Public Health to suspend the license of Dr. Teresita Mascardo, Connecticut Plastic Surgery Center, LLC of Ridgefield, immediately.

"This emergency suspension stops a medical nightmare, a facility plagued with dirty bloody equipment, unsterile supplies and other grossly unsanitary and unsafe conditions," Blumenthal said in a news release. "My office is working closely and urgently with the Department of Public Health to close this facility permanently and to prevent a health care catastrophe."

Violations listed included:

· An unlicensed anesthesiologist
· single use suture sets and other supplies that were resealed after they were opened, and had blood and/or other human fluids on them
· severe rust in the interior of a machine used to sterilize surgical equipment
· a garbage container in a recovery room full of food, garbage and other surgical waste including syringes
· animal dropping on equipment
· dust debris and blood on the floor and equipment
· procedures conducted without nurses present

The immediately and temporary suspension of Connecticut Past Surgery Center's license will continue as Blumenthal and DPH Commissioner J. Robert Galvin seeks additional remedies and complete closure.

Inspectors also discovered the facility failed to develop an effective program to control the distribution of drugs, failed to develop an infection-control program and failed to properly maintain medical records on its patients including adequate protection of confidentiality.

According to her web site, Dr. Mascardo also has a practice in New York. According to court documents , in 2007, Dr. Mascardo pled guilty to filing a false tax return and as a result, had her license suspended in 2008 in New York.

Disgusting

Priests cited in sexual-abuse claims
Updated: 12/02/2009 06:12:57 PM EST


Click photo to enlargeMartin Federici«1234»Related
Shedding Light
Dec 1:
Diocese in denial: Fallout from the Bridgeport sex-abuse scandalTimeline of priest abuse settlements, documentsRecords show Egan evasive, skeptical about sex abuse claimsFollowing is a list of priests in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport against whom claims of sex abuse are chronicled in previously secret documents:
Lawrence F.X. Brett

1963-64, St. Cecelia's Church, Stamford; 1964, appointed spiritual director of Sacred Heart University.

1964: College student goes to urologist because Brett, while performing oral sex on the teen, bit the young man's penis, causing wound. Brett is sent to New Mexico monastery and diocese releases memo that Brett is being treated for a recurrence of hepatitis.

In 1966, Brett serves as priest in Diocese of Sacramento, Calif., where he is accused of assaulting two boys; 1969-72, teacher at Calvert Hall, a Catholic high school in Baltimore and leaves after being accused of molesting two students.

1990: Bishop Edward Egan writes memo welcoming Brett back to diocese.

Brett, however, eventually had his priestly authority revoked, or laicized, by Egan's successor as bishop, William Lori

Martin Federici

1968: Federici is picked up by Bridgeport police who bring him to then-Bishop Walter Curtis after he allegedly sexually molested a boy in his car.

1967, St. Teresa's Church, Trumbull; 1968-70, Assumption Church, Westport.

1971: Parent of a boy at St. Ambrose Church in Bridgeport complains to pastor that his son was sexually assaulted by Federici. He is transferred to Assumption Church in Fairfield.

1978: Westport police inform diocese Federici


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Advertisement

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
has been accused of molesting a boy. Federici is sent to a psychologist who reports to diocese that Federici "has poor contact with reality." 1978-81, re-assigned to St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Norwalk.

1983: Federici is at St. Joseph's Church in Shelton when he is accused of sexually assaulting a boy who comes for confession. Boy's father complains to diocesan officials of abuse. Federici confesses to the incident, and is transferred to St. Edward the Confessor Church in New Fairfield.

1989: Federici is assigned to Kolbe Cathedral High School in Bridgeport.

1990: An advocate for child-abuse victims complains to diocesan officials that Federici abused a young man at a weekend religious retreat. About the same time, diocese officials receive complaint that Federici has been calling sex hotline numbers from a parish telephone.

1993: Parents complain Federici masturbated in front of a boy at a local parochial school. Monsignor Laurence Bronkiewicz tells parents they have never had a complaint against Federici before.

Raymond Pcolka

Ordained: Feb. 10, 1965. February 1965 to June 1967, associate pastor, St. Benedict's Church, Stamford; September 1966 to June 1967, part-time teacher, St. Mary's School, Greenwich; June 1967 to September 1973, associate pastor, St. John Nepomucene Church, Bridgeport; September 1967 to June 1973, part-time teacher, Notre Dame Girls High School, then in Bridgeport.

September 1973 to June 1974, associate pastor, St. Mary's Church, Greenwich; June 1974 to May 1975, associate pastor, St. James Church, Stratford; May 1975 to June 1986, assistant pastor, Holy Name of Jesus Church, Stratford; June 1986 to March 1989, pastor, St. Mary's Church, Bethel.

1988-90, priest moderator for Danbury district of Council for Catholic Women; April 1989 to March 1993, pastor, Sacred Heart Parish, Greenwich.

1976: Parents of teen-age girl complain Pcolka was sexually inappropriate with daughter during an overnight trip with other children at his New Hampshire cottage.

1983: 18-year-old girl complains to diocese officials that she and her cousins were all sexually abused by Pcolka in 1970s.

1993: Man and woman filed suit against diocese claiming the were sexually abused by Pcolka in 1970s. Diocesan officials tell Connecticut Post they never previously received a complaint against Pcolka. A day later, the lawyer for a Fairfield family disclosed the family had complained about abuse by Pcolka in 1989 and met with diocese officials about that complaint in 1992. A total of 16 people would later claim they were abused by Pcolka in 1970s.

Jan. 4, 1993, first abuse lawsuit filed against diocese. Pcolka sent to psychiatric treatment facility.

W. Phillip Coleman

From 1960 to 1966, St. Teresa's Church, Trumbull; 1966-68, St. Maurice's Church, Stamford; 1969, St. Joseph's Church, Danbury; 1970-72, St. Aloysius Church, New Canaan; 1973-75, St. Thomas Church, Fairfield; 1976-82: St. Patrick's Church, Bridgeport.

1983-87, St. Joseph's Church, Brookfield; 1988, Immaculate High School, Danbury; 1990, Central Catholic High School, Norwalk; 1988-90, Sacred Heart Church, Georgetown; 1991-93, St. Joseph's Manor, Trumbull; 1993-95, St. Margaret Mary Church, Shelton.

1976: Parents complain Coleman is acting inappropriately with teen-age boys. Coleman is later give a two-month leave to travel cross-country with a teen-age boy.

1985: Coleman purchases a house with a single mother of young boy. He gives her an engagement ring. Subsequently there are complaints Coleman has been sexually assaulting the woman's son.

1990s: Coleman serving as priest in Miami.

Monsignor Gregory Smith

1985: Woman complains to diocese officials she was molested by Smith in 1970s. Smith assigned to Sacred Heart University staff. Suspended in 2002.

Gavin O'Connor

Diocese agrees to pay more than $200,000 to a former Shelton altar boy who claimed he was sexually abused in 1977.

1986: Two men complain to diocese they were abused by O'Connor in early 1980s at St. Joseph's Church in Shelton, St. Edward the Confessor Church in New Fairfield and St. Peter's Church in Danbury.

Charles T. Carr

Ordained: May 10, 1980. 1981-84, associate pastor, Our Lady of Fatima, Wilton; 1984-86, parochial vicar, St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Norwalk.

1982: Parent complains her son was molested by Carr.

1984: Parents of two boys complain their son was abused by Carr.

1987-88, associate pastor, St. Catherine of Siena Church, Trumbull; 1986-89, teacher at Notre Dame High School, Fairfield; 1989-90, spiritual director at Central Catholic High School, Norwalk.

1990-91, associate pastor, St. Philip Church, Norwalk; July 1991 to April 1995, associate pastor, St. Andrew's Church.

1990: Diocese sends Carr to Institute of Living and orders him to stay away from children.

Joseph Gorecki

From 1960-64, Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church, Bridgeport; 1965-66, on duty outside the diocese; 1967-70, St. Joseph's Church, Shelton; 1971, St. Theresa's Church, Trumbull; 1974, Assumption Church, Westport; 1975, St. Vincent's Medical Center; 1976-78, St. Mary's Parish, Norwalk; 1978, joined Orthodox Roman Catholic movement.

Died at age 61 in 1988.

John Castaldo

1991: Accused of molesting 13-year-old boy at St. Theresa's Church in Trumbull.

2001: Chaplain of Trinity Catholic High School in Stamford. Arrested for soliciting sex from a 14-year-old boy over the Internet.

Joseph J. Malloy

Former chaplain of Bridgeport Fire Department from 1971-74; St. James Church, Stratford; 1975-87, St. Catherine of Siena Church, Trumbull; 1988, St. Ann Church, Bridgeport. Accused of molesting 10-year-old altar boy at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Trumbull.

Diocesan officials say he is innocent of the charges and he remains an active priest.

Alfred Bietighofer

Ordained in Bridgeport in 1965. Accused of abusing altar boys in the late 1960s and early 1970s at Blessed Sacrament Church and St. Anthony of Padua Parish, both in Bridgeport.

Hung himself after being confronted with abuse allegations.

Richard Grady

Previously pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Bridgeport and St. Leo Parish in Stamford. He was accused of molesting a boy in the early 1980s. He died in 1993.

Joseph DeShan

1988: Initiated a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl while he was assigned to St. Augustine's Cathedral.

1989: Girl becomes pregnant and DeShan leaves priesthood.

1990: Hired as elementary school teacher in Cinnaminson, N.J.

Stanley Bonaszek

Accused of sexually assaulting a former altar boy at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Bridgeport in 1985.

Charles Stubbs

Accused in lawsuits of sexually abusing boys from 1967 through 1971 at St. Ann's Church in Bridgeport, the former Notre Dame Boys High School in Bridgeport and at his residence at the former Holy Ghost Fathers residence in Norwalk.

Stanley Koziol

Admitted sexual misconduct with a boy in the early 1960s.

Vincent Veich

Admitted sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old girl in the late 1970s.

Joseph P. Moore

Accused of molesting a boy at St. Mary Parish in Bethel in the early 1980s.

Martin Ryan

Accused of molesting a teen-age girl in the early 1970s at St. Theresa's Church in Trumbull. Pastor of St. Edward the Confessor in New Fairfield.

Robert Morrissey

Ordained as a priest in 1976. In 1977, assigned to St. Lawrence Church in Shelton; served from 1978-82 at St. Mary's Church in Greenwich; 1983-84 at St. Clement's Church in Stamford; from 1985-86 at St. Joseph's Church in Danbury; 1988-89, on duty outside the diocese; 1990-92, Morrissey returned to St. Joseph's Church; and then in 1992 back to St. Mary's.

Sherman Gray

Ordained in 1970. From 1971-73, assigned to St. Mary's Church in Greenwich; 1974-75, at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome; 1976-1981, at St. Maurice's Church in Stamford; in 1982, Theological College in Washington, D.C.; 1983-85, at Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md.; 1986, St. Bernard Church in Riverdale, Md.

Albert McGoldrick

Ordained in 1978. From 1979-80, assigned to St. Mary's Church, Stamford; 1980-84, he was an official with the diocesan tribunal; 1985-86, Divine Word College, Washington, D.C.; 1987, Our Lady of Peace Church in Stratford; 1988, Assumption Church in Westport; 1989-94, there is no listing for his service in the diocesan directory of clergy; in 1995, appointed a judge in the diocesan tribunal; 1998, Notre Dame Church of Easton; 1999, St. James Church in Stratford; 1999, pastor of St. Paul Church in Greenwich.

*** Morrissey, Gray and McGoldrick were accused of sexually assaulting a man from 1979 to 1983, beginning when the man was 15.۩

CT, Arrest a Cop!

There has been a dramatic increase of Police Officers in CT being arrested and prosecuted for 'in-the-line-of-duty' action, very disturbing.


NEW HAVEN -- Two Eastern Connecticut State University police officers have been charged with violating the civil rights of a man who claims the officers repeatedly used pepper spray on him while he was in a detention cell.

A federal grand jury in New Haven indicted 47-year-old Martin Praisner Jr. of Lisbon and 43-year-old Steven Craig of Glastonbury on Tuesday. Craig is also accused of filing a false report on the man's arrest.

The indictment alleges the officers arrested the man, who was not identified, for alleged trespassing on Sept. 1, 2008, and repeatedly sprayed him with pepper spray after he damaged a holding cell wall at the campus police station.

No one answered the phone at Praisner's home Wednesday morning. A message was left at Craig's home. ۩