by: Diane Benjamin
Scott Oglesby: I hope you appeal Judge Foley’s ruling to overturn the arbitrator’s decision. Next time get a MALE judge. The female factor is the only explanation for her ruling.
The relationship between the Bloomington Police and David Hales was already strained. The comments made by Hales, as reported in the Pantagraph today, will make the relationship even worse. Obviously arbitration means nothing to the City and now to Judge Foley.
Judge Foley was charged with ruling whether the arbitrator’s investigation and ruling was legal and fair. She did not hear testimony on the events that led to the City of Bloomington firing Scott Oglesby, but she took it upon herself to rule on other grounds anyway – social norms?
Society has decided that discipline hurts the self-esteem of kids. Parents don’t hold their kids accountable for their behavior. Schools can’t discipline children without parents thinking their little angels are being discriminated against. What social norm requires a MIDDLE SCHOOL to have their own police officer? The kid in question was 7. The current “social norms” mean the kid can do whatever he wants and nobody will hold him accountable.
The only winner here is the kid and his family. The kid’s temper tantrum was totally excused. Look for the kid back in court – probably in the next 10 years. By then he will be on the other side of the law.
Hales comments don’t square with the Mayors comments made to me in a private email dated 11/21/13. On the subject of former Officer Oglesby, here is what he said
” As far as the substance, Scott Oglesby is a friend of mine and supported me in each of my campaigns.The decision to appeal was made the by previous council and mayor.
I pushed to reconsider that decision but I had to be careful not to push too hard so that it didn’t appear that I was just trying to help a friend/supporter.Last summer, I did redistribute to the entire council the arbitrator’s report and asked everyone to re-read it and reconsider. That still didn’t move the council. As a matter of common practice in American government at all levels, personnel decisions (unless they involve high profile department heads and scandal or something) are not discussed in public (for all kinds of reasons – you open yourself up to legal challenges suits etc., you may have difficulty hiring qualified people if they think they may be trashed in public, etc.). Any legal counsel I’ve ever received as an elected official or when I worked for the International City/County Management Association back in the last 1980s made that point crystal clear. I totally agree that this appeal was an irresponsible waste of money. But, the council majority at the time buckled to public pressure and pursed the appeal. My attempt to persuade them otherwise was unsuccessful. (Just FYI, it may be obvious to you that Scott did nothing wrong – and I agree – but the overwhelming public outcry at the time was in the opposite direction and the council responded – inaccurately I believe.”
How come the sack of horse shit isn’t speaking out now to save this mans career? His career might not be Bloomington, but unless he is vindicated, he will never work in law enforcement again. Man up Tari!
If you have the original email, I’d like to print it!
Judge Foley is a good Judge. I’m just very disappointed in her ruling of Scott Oglesby’s case.