[Vision2020] Religion Has No Part in Process

[Tom Hansen]

Clean and simple, Ted -

 

Such actions, conducted in an official capacity via public means (a
tax-supported computer in this case), reflect adversely upon the department
of which she is employed.

 

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"People who ridicule others while hiding behind anonymous monikers in
chat-room forums are neither brave nor clever."

- Latah County Sheriff Wayne Rausch (August 21, 2007) 

  _____  

From: Ted Moffett [mailto:starbliss at gmail.com] 
Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2007 3:55 PM
To: Sue Hovey
Cc: lfalen; keely emerinemix; Debbie Gray; Tom Hansen; MoscowVision 2020
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Religion Has No Part in Process

 

 

Sue et. al.

 

Assuming this communication was sent from Latah County Law enforcement
computers, personal use of work computers, whether in the public or private
sector, is sometimes tolerated.  But sent from a tax payer supported work
computer or not, this e-mail sent to a church business list (this was not a
purely personal communication) expressing religious and gender bias (the
e-mail did not merely inform of job openings, but expressed a desire for
"Christian men" to fill the ranks) from an employee of the Latah Sheriff
Dept. raises serious issues that an apology and press release do not fully
address. 

 

Expressing preference for a specific religion and gender in a communication
to recruit fellow employees demonstrates arrogance towards and disregard of
the principle of non-discrimination in hiring, a principle that all tax
payer supported employees of all public institutions should be thoroughly
aware of and respect.  

 

Given this employee would prefer to have "Christian men" employed by the
Latah Sheriff's Dept, how well would this employee work with, for example, a
Wiccan, atheist or Islamic co-worker?  What about a lesbian?  And in the
"battle against evil," will this employee be capable of maintaining total
objectivity on the job, regarding ethical issues that are problematic for
their religion, given their obvious religious bias?  

 

I doubt it.  And this doubt extends to the objectivity that any religious
fundamentalist or extreme ideologue might be capable of applying on the job.

 

The fact this employee appeared oblivious to the ethical flaw in promoting
religious and gender discrimination (though we are being led to believe this
employee was not representing the department when sending this
communication?) in the hiring process for a public service job clearly
expresses the insular bias that is unconsciously embedded in the mentality
of religious fundamentalism.  

 

Quotes from the communication in question:

 

"We currently have three open positions down in our jail," she wrote. "It
would be great to see them filled with Christian men. The Lieutenant of the
jail, Jim Loyd, is a strong Christian and so are several of the detention 
deputies." 

 

"You are issued a handgun and rifle, and you get to work for Sheriff Wayne
Rausch, a wonderful Christian," she continues. "Working as a cop is an
excellent opportunity for Christians to be at the forefront in the battle 
against evil."
--------------------

Ted Moffett

 

 


 

On 8/24/07, Sue Hovey <suehovey at moscow.com > wrote: 

Roger, et al.  When one is posting a message on a computer which belongs to
the place where you work, the message better be in compliance with hiring 
practice and the law.  Regardless of her views, she should not be posting
them on a computer that does not specifically belong to her.


Sue
----- Original Message -----
From: "lfalen" < lfalen at turbonet.com>
To: "keely emerinemix" < kjajmix1 at msn.com <mailto:kjajmix1 at msn.com> >;
"Debbie Gray"
< graylex at yahoo.com <mailto:graylex at yahoo.com> >; "Tom Hansen" <
<mailto:thansen at moscow.com>  thansen at moscow.com>; "MoscowVision 2020"
<vision2020 at moscow.com> 
Sent: Friday, August 24, 2007 11:43 AM 
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Religion Has No Part in Process


> Keely
> You and many other may disagree with her, but there was nothing wrong with
> her expressing her views. It  was intended to be a private communication. 
> It was not an official job posting or representing the department in any
> way. What is suspect is the leaking of a private communication to Vera
> White.
> Roger
>

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