There might be more to the this story than what we see here. endobj }1-"y, b.|7h" i>1d&1 stream South Dakota Following a five-day trial in Aberdeen, South Dakota, a six-person jury returned a $1.2 million dollar verdict in favor of former South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation agent, Laura Zylstra-Kaiser. For a moment,Zylstra thought shed found a supportive ear: Black was supportive offered to speak to Erickson for Plaintiff. MC, the deck continues to be stacked in favor of the rapist/molester/harasser. Kaiser received positive reviews throughout her career. Since 2005, SA Corey has been with the South Dakota Office of Attorney General in the There is nothing in our legal system that says the public can not scrutinize public cases and come to our own conclusions. DCI DCI said they didn't have it. Dont be too hard on PP, he probably just doesnt know how to pull up the complaint. Women are not perfect. WebOur special agents are full-spectrum criminal investigators, handling all manners of felony-level criminal activity. An anatomy of the dysfunction under which so much of state government operates. 2007 SD 99 - South Dakota The paperwork was signed and finalized by the Governors Office of Risk Management on Monday, May 21, 2018. WebTimothy R. Whalen, Esq. In the summer of 2011, Ross Erickson from the Brown County Sherriffs office joined the Drug Task Force and began making sexually harassing comments to Kaiser. WebClass Title: DCI Special Agent III Class Code: 688804 Pay Grade: L6 _____ A. The coincidence of the administrative attack on Zylstra Kaiser and the legal attack on Schwab, Taliaferro, and the Mette children suggests a connection, a multi-front push by Brown County an DCI to shut down potentially damaging lawsuits. To say this lawsuit is about SD Representative Dan Kaiser is merely a distraction to the real story. Hopefully Lauras story, and the jurys verdict, will play a small part in continuing the message that sexual harassment and retaliation cannot be condoned or allowed.. /Filter /DCTDecode Zylstra-Kaiser is doing the right thing by exposing them all. Former Division of Criminal Investigation special agent Laura Zylstra Kaiser of Aberdeen is suing DCI chief Bryan Gortmaker and former DCI agent Mark Black for hindering her employment. WebSOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY prevention protection enforcement March 9, 2022 The Honorable Spencer Gosch Speaker of the House 500 E. Capitol Avenue Pierre, SD 57501 RE: HR 7001 Speaker Gosch: I understand that the House Select Committee on Investigation is close to concluding its work in examining the Kaiser was hired by DCI in 2003, and worked for eight years as a special agent on the Drug Task Force, a collaborative team consisting of officers from DCI, the Brown County Sherriffs Office and the Aberdeen Police Department. POSTED. As a result of this experience with DCI administration, Plaintiff feared future reports would adversely affect her career [Complaint, 2015.09.23]. You do not have to be silent and you should not be in fear of speaking up. Kaiser was transferred to Pierre, demoted from Special Agent III to Special Agent II and moved to a less desirable position. The cold, hard, fact remains, males perpetrate more than 90% of the sexual crimes. Kaiser said at that time she signed the agreement. JOB DETAILS. Apply. He said, she said, with the DCI boys holding the stay out of trouble card in the form of shared talking points. When Zylstra Kaiser pointed out that that Erickson admitted to the conduct, Even chose not to believe her and said he was unhappy with her general work performance. STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA CLASS SPECIFICATION How to Become a Criminal Investigator in South Dakota By doing so, it has become clear that on November 4, 2011, Mark Black was given marching orders to get rid of a few individuals who were about the expose the state of wrong doing that would ultimately lead to major lawsuits against the State of SD. South Dakota We are only seeing one side of the story. Were anticipating special agent openings in all investigative areas across the state, so learn more about what it means to be a DCI Special Agent and how you can apply by visiting http://ow.ly/WcWn50Ii1XtSee more 'GE%ueEy Z"*L>O ;FVIL$E ^tjx%|{/&,8px%q|A`;%)e9SO8w% Disgusted that Mrs Kaiser had to put up with such criminal behavior by a co-worker and then her supervisors. Yea. We need to get Gortmaker, Black, Erickson, and Jackley speaking on the record to what happened. q You slime every other Republican male because MCs nave embracement of the establishment, in his bid to be named as Hickeys replacement? Plaintiff apologized and stated that it was not her intent to have the office know about the issue. You cite a few anecdotes, and Im sure instances happen. /PAGE0001 Do [/PDF /ImageC] But MC, I am inclined to think that the more to the story may well follow the lines that Shirley and David lay out for us. ~D$fQn}d0(i \I$EauuuF|]>p(_t^A :5u2t,2!u6lTN .cL ;8zMxko^ {q//[\{J1hd@K yzN3B=_J. # Plaintiff considered his offer but decided she would speak to Erickson herself. 4 0 obj Almost immediately, he began making sexually explicit comments to Plaintiff, revealing personal information, and making her feel uncomfortable, including, but not limited to: Now the properworkplace response to such behavior is to take this behavior straight to the boss, whose response should be to drop the hammer on the harasser. She now runs her own private investigation company. They hadnt noticed because it was a routine event. Dci Special Agent In August 2011, Kaiser was ranked as meets or exceeds in every job category. 609.5 0.0 0.0 789.1 1.3 1.4 cm 55 Best Criminal Justice Jobs in South Dakota | Indeed.com I hope my experience can give strength to other victims of sexual harassment. Box 127 Lake Andes, SD 57356 Telephone: 605-487-7645 Attorney for Plaintiff and Appellant ______________________ Robert B. Anderson May, Adam, Gerdes & Thompson P.O. The Childrens Home Society is a front for raising cash just like the Governors Club has been. HB 1221: Free School Meals for Every Student in South Dakota! $.' #29473-a-MES 2021 S.D. 61 - South Dakota But i doubt it. Most importantly Laura has the truth on her side. 4 0 obj '!kcE!>{=C9Cv G4]mY01I&Em@6cR1d>!B u South Dakota ",#(7),01444'9=82. Women and children cant do it. The case is titled, Laura Zyltra Kaiser v. Bryan Gortmaker, in his Official Capacity as South Dakota Director of the Division of Criminal Investigation, 15-CV-1030. Eventually, she was forced to resign in 2012. Former DCI agent Laura Zylstra Kaiser says the state of South Dakota delayed paying her $1.5 million settlement, following a lawsuit over workplace sexual harassment. It happens everyday all over this country, yet when republicans face heat they yell there is another side to this story (without telling it) or that the perp must be proven guilty. None of the men, including Ross Erickson, were disciplined by DCI or the Brown County Sherriffs Office. Males write the laws in every state and DC. Incremental steps have been taken to give the victim a little better chance. <> Ms. Geelsdottir, I support all those things. We have only heard one side of the story and based on that, and they are part of the current administration, you folks have already tried, convicted, and sentenced them. Zylstra Kaiser filed grievances over the demotion and transferwith Gortmaker and Attorney General Marty Jackley. Kaiser told Erickson to stop, but his comments persisted. On information and belief, Black then called Supervisor Jason Even to report Plaintiffs complaints against Erickson and told Even he no longer wanted to work with Plaintiff because he could not trust her. Black complained to DCI supervisors that Kaiser created a hostile work environment. Based upon these dates, this settlement was not delayed. x[ms6|nb 2I MT?xn^PX`W,W~sW=yUWYv]sl~n/.7gW\=FI,R'Q0g1?YyY0!UG%STK,g|QMiDY@1|0zycW~[+3_YxN1piT67$bZZ ? Purpose: Conducts independent investigations or coordinates investigations with other state, If not, it really doesnt matter, their lives might as well, be over. Jenny, how about Rochester? . This is so wrong and. 2013) case opinion from the District of South Dakota U.S. Federal District Court To all the men out there that need advice on how to treat women in the workplace, Ill give you a clue. I have not only watched and observed her efforts these past 3 years but supported her every step of the way as well. April 15 came and went and after multiple unreturned emails regarding the settlement agreement in April, Kaiser's lawyer was eventually told Jackley had been unavailable because he'd been in Washington, D.C. for the previous two weeks. D-D$3I20eV&,$~ n. At the conclusion of trial, the jury found in favor of Kaiser on both her retaliation and gender discrimination claims. She was paid on Wednesday after several months of negotiations. No need for me romanticiz about the DCI, in my relationship with Kevin Thumb there was no love. http://www.ag.state.mn.us/ There are just too many smart capable women in power. stream The only objective Kaiser did not complete according to DCI was rebuilding the trust with the men in the office who had shunned her. stream Phone: (605) 330-4862 . The sentence is always a lifetime sentence of shame. And the U of MN has added the Affirmative Consent Sexual Activity standard. 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Agent Kaisers accusations are credible to me. Finished: John D. MacDonald's 'The Brass Cupcake'. Little wonder that the misanthropes on the public dole who infest the halls at DCI are thuggish, criminally insane, entitled white guys living under their own rules instead of under the law. For the record, I was never contacted or talked to by the AGs office about my criminal complaint and I also heard about the dismissal of my criminal complaint by the AG from news media. /Length 47 Kaiser was on the drug task force in Aberdeen back in 2011, when she said a Brown County Sheriff's Deputy was appointed to the team and began sexually harassing her on a regular basis. 5 0 obj Nor is it about what is happening at the University of Minnesota. Kaiser told the texter all negotiations would continue to go through her Minneapolis-based attorney. WebBrett D Spencer worked as a Dci Special Agent III for the State of South Dakota and in 2020 had a reported pay of $35.02 and a pay frequency of hourly according to public records. Former DCI agent Laura Zylstra Kaiser says the state of South Dakota delayed paying her $1.5 million settlement, following a lawsuit over workplace sexual harassment. A South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation agent is up for a national award, but he needs your help. Its extremely rare that I hear women made fun of or harassed here. Then those comments would be taken out of context and used against them. The - South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation | Facebook The language of the settlement agreement states the following: The payment will be made by delivering the checks to Kaisers attorneys so that the checks are in their hands no sooner than May 21, 2018, but in no event later than June 8, 2018. Powers spins this story because Dan Kaiser is a constant burr under the establishment machines saddle, and because establishment crony Marty Jackley is running for governor. This case and settlement was handled by the Governors Office of Risk Management and the States insurance company. WebTo apply for a position as a DCI Special Agent, follow these steps: Complete the online application Complete the Personal Data Questionnaire Complete and sign the Anyone believing Marty and the DCI want federal probes of their white boys club is delusional. Through it all, Laura has continued to handle this nightmare with strength, grace and determination and is to be commended for bringing attention to these horrific actions. St~|AJtSZ]l!YBY?$@,!U82XV{/p*6)aPV%l[#gX[G|H5>>&AIX%q.&F%fF7vM4}"~W2(/:>)cS| a. 1 0 obj Mrs Kaiser is in fact Rep Dan Kaisers wife, a noted male Republican, who obviously supports her. ", Lucas Kaster, one of Kaisers attorneys, stated: We are very happy for Laura. Indeed. 2 0 obj After the failed communicative efforts, Kaisers attorneys filed an affidavit detailing the communication issues, as well as motions with the court to compel the settlement amount on May 14. Kaiser said if Jackley wasn't involved, she's not sure why that mattered. Hank Prim - Supervisory Special Agent & State Law Enforcement She says shereceived positive performance reviews through mid-2011, when she says her mid-year evaluation praised her for her exceptional work product, ability to work amicably with other DCI agents and members of her task force, relentless work, and above-average case activity.. Kaiser said the DCI attorney met her in Redfield, at his request, to give her the two checks. What a filthy, nasty man! When they speak, I will report. Maybe it was around in the old day, but not now. Unless she has some kind of admissible digital evidence shes screwed. She charges Black with tortious interference, meaning he underminedher contractualrelationship with DCIto cover his backside. /XObject c+g4]AjC`D93P=%OEY&TJ?2m;_e[F(Q\yv|.hxysU-nu#oRmX&{;=e|h=*)X+eZR~,-Erh? The author Claire Wolfe once said America is at that awkward stage; its too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards. My Family and I have spent years trying to report a case of $800,000 of fraud and theft to DCI in South Dakota. I say so here and now. It will be interesting to see how much this one will cost as the ags office will probably have to farm out the defense of this. Kaiser appealed the discipline to DCI and eventually to South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley, but each of her appeals was denied. MC, a preponderance of evidence shows that kind of behavior is common place. Supervisor Jason Even took the mens side immediately, accused Zylstra Kaiser of fabricating the sexual harassment allegations against Erickson, and warned her that the issue could lead to her termination. 0 replies 1 Ms Zylstra Kaiser encountered the same players involved in the events that led up to the malicious prosecution of Taliferro-Schwab, including Kim Dorsett. <> Whalen Law Office, P.C. Thats a wonderful policy. WebAbout us. POSTED ON 6/23/2022 AVAILABLE BEFORE 12/22/2022. Thanks. We would have been better off reporting these crimes to the Girl Scouts. There are some parts of SD where women are treated with respect and dignity. She was living away from her husband and baby. That lack of cooperation from her co-workers led to job consequences for Zylstra Kaiser: On December 8, 2011, Assistant Director Dan Satterlee informed Plaintiff she met the WIPs requirements with one exception: she had not rebuilt positive relationships. /Contents 5 0 R How often do you contact your legislators and Congress people about these issues? Kaiser said she'd been patient and asked for a "good faith payment," of "anything? South Dakota DCI (@SouthDakotaDCI) | Twitter 3 0 obj I am also well aware that the large majority of males are not sexual criminals. WebDowty v. D.C.I. WebCorey Dumdei, Special Agent E-mail: corey.dumdei@oig.hhs.gov. More Highway Patrol Trooper South Dakota State Government Kaiser said she was reluctant about telling her superiors and eventually was forced out of her post as retaliation for reporting it. /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB Then, her lawyer continued to attempt to contact the DCI attorney without response. <> The jury found that Kaiser suffered retaliation and gender discrimination after she complained of sexual harassment by one of her colleagues in October 2011. Q %PDF-1.5 WebSTATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA CLASS SPECIFICATION Class Title: DCI Special Agent II Class Code: 688802 Pay Grade: L5 _____ A. Maybe its the places I go or the people I know. {H% Q"4#H" b+X)o)0QfxR%) sY&){%=@XIO}6GLqGpbZ}Z*JvE|*T9c427]L93a>]rO[ $Y9G$\gUf E@S|#8 z{LjS(}[v=]j>aTSy?7.ZSzvQ_e+*-Aq:)K=IooGwLMMqBR|r.k`,R&? Kaiser was represented by James Kaster, Matt Morgan and Lucas Kaster of Nichols Kaster, PLLP in Minneapolis. A memorial sign honoring their sacrifice was placed north of Spearfish on U.S. Highway 85. Kaiser then confronted Erickson one-on-one and asked him to stop the harassment. Jackley's office issued this statement about the delay of Kaiser's settlement on Tuesday: "The State of South Dakota confirms today that the State of South Dakota has finalized the Laura Zylstra Kaiser lawsuit. Sad, really, we were the greatest country on earth, and we cant even get this right. "It was communicated to my attorneys that there had been a storm and part of a roof came off a building so Bryan Gortmaker is not available," Kaiser said. In the court of public opinion, the truth doesnt matter, only how it is spun. WebSTATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA CLASS SPECIFICATION Class Title: DCI Special Agent Supervisor Class Code: 688805 Pay Grade: L7 _____ A. WebThe State of South Dakota offers employer paid health insurance plus eleven paid holidays, generous vacation and sick leave accrual, dental, vision, and other Posted Posted 30+ Kaiser went before reporters this afternoon to set the record straight, she said, because Attorney General Marty Jackley is accusing her and her lawyers, as well as Rep. Kristi Noem (R-South Dakota) of conspiring against him in his bid for governor. demoted from Special Agent III to Special Agent II and moved to a less desirable position. The jury awarded Kaiser $311,812.00 in lost wages, $498,929.00 in lost retirement benefits, and $400,000.00 in emotional distress damages. . I truly doubt it many other individuals would have endured what she has and kept on fighting to get to this point. Zylstra resigned from DCI effective May 18, 2012. On November 4, 2011, Laura was in Pierre and aware of all of the state player (regarding her case and ours) that were present in Pierre as well. WebWhen Chief Agent Miller retired, Merle Melstad served as chief agent of the DCI for six months in 1955; he was followed in that post by Rol Kebach, who was to serve twenty <>>> Job ID: 18640 Location: Statewide Step 1: Complete Run some stats on ethnic crimes for us, wouldja? That seems to be SOP for the DCI for a while now. Erickson later apologized, admitted the conduct, and said it would stop. << They got both in front of me., Erickson: Stick with me Ill take you to the promised land.. In October 2011, Kaiser confided in fellow DCI agent, Mark Black, about how to respond to Ericksons harassment. Kaiser said as a result of her reporting the harassment that led to her forced resignation, she was unable to find another job in law enforcement. % box 160 Pierre, SD 57501 Telephone: 605-224-8803 Attorneys for Defendant and Appellee _____________________ Eventually, she was I acknowledge MCs point that there is surely more to the story. It will be difficult to defend Black and anyone who tries to use his words and actions as credible evidence. )/ MC-you got your story ass backwards. I asked my friends if what they thought about the other table. Unbeknownst to Plaintiff, Black told Brown County Deputy Damian Bahr and DCI Agent Dave Lunzman, the only other law enforcement in the Aberdeen office, about Ericksons treatment toward Plaintiff. Zylstra Kaiser says she went to work for the DCI Drug Task Force straight out law school in August 2003. When watching the recordings of those interrogation videos, Mark Black can be seen receiving text messages and phone calls (along with occasional breaks while leaving each of the children alone for long periods of time in the cold, scary and isolated rooms) during the entire interrogation process. WebThis week, we welcomed a new Special Agent to the Division of Criminal Investigation family! Statewide, SD. Why South Dakotans stand for it remains a mystery. DCI then conducted an investigation focused on Kaiser, accusing her of fabricating allegations as a trust test and placed her on a Work Improvement Plan just a few days later. endobj Lets look at Zylstra Kaisers complaint, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Aberdeen, to learn what thesuit is about. 6 0 obj Im not sympathetic to the cry of males being picked on.. In March 2012, Kaiser received her worst review of her eight-year career. My LRC WebThe DCIs work isnt always about enforcement: its about education, too! I wish Laura well with her lawsuit as this has been a long and exhausting road for her and her family. Sioux Falls, SD . I have had numerous interactions with various DCI agents over the past 40 years. Lastly, Lauras lawsuit is about sexual harassment, discrimination, intimidation and the retaliation that followed after she tried to report it. Zylstra decided to talk about the harassment with fellow Aberdeen agent Mark Black, with whom she had a close relationship. (Remember, this is the same Mark Black who eventually was fired from the DCI following revelations of violent behavior toward his own wife.) stream I know thats not the law, but frankly, these kinds of situations make me so angry . 4:2012cv04002 - Document 45 (D.S.D. /BitsPerComponent 8 The deck is so stacked against the accuser. DCI Agent DCI Special Agent I or II. << In the 80 year history of DCI, Kaiser said she was just one of two women who were promoted to Special Agent III, the highest level in a non-supervisory role. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The four men decided that Kaiser fabricated the sexual harassment allegations as test for Black and decided that they could no longer trust her and refused to work with her. I think it important we look at the big picture and the intricate timeline that comes into place with Lauras sexual harassment lawsuit and the criminal acts by the same state players in the Schwab Taliaferro malicious prosecution case. DCI Special Agent I or II in South Dakota State Government; Rapid City, SD. We believe the interrogations were live streamed to Pierre with someone feeding Black intimidating, confusing and attacking questions to ask the Mette children. /Length 8 0 R We believe the both in front of me were our individual cases. Its likely that Mike Clark isnt crazy enough for Daugaard by somebody like Roger Hunt or Allen Unrubb might just be insane enough for Denny. DCI Special Agent A friendly little safety reminder-dont play around pitchforks and torches. q Erickson said, Thats just the way I am, but Kaiser said that was not acceptable. Cops lives suck. Youve already gotten more of my time than I usually give you, sock puppet. %PDF-1.7 Makes one wonder if DCI does anything right. WebSpecial Agent Cam Corey began his law enforcement career in 1998 as a Deputy Sheriff. <>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> MN Attorney General Lori Swanson wouldnt put up with it. That afternoon, Black surreptitiously met with Erickson, Bahr, and Lunzman in a park. Imagine Marty Jackley complying with a federal judge to hand over DCI emails, people. A jury awarded Kaiser a settlement for sexual harassment and other damages on Dec. 27, 2017 against her former boss, Bryan Gortmaker. Asking Were you horny when you were pregnant?; Saying Go ahead and walk away, because I am going to stare at your ass the whole time; Texting her to ask what color underwear she was wearing; Stating it was a good thing she was not single because otherwise he would hit on her all the time; Remarking that Plaintiff looked hot when she wore glasses. More Highway Patrol Trooper South Dakota State Government State of South Dakota hiring DCI Special Agent I or II in <>>> <>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> DCI Special Agent IIs DCI Special Agent Is DCI South Dakota Attorney General On November 4, 2011, (the same day that Black interrogated the Mette children as BrownCounty and the DCIrevved up their attack on Shirley Schwab and Brandon Taliaferro in the Mette child rape case)Even put ZylstraKaiser on a 30-day Work Improvement Plan,the nine tasks of which included submitting to a psychological evaluation, which DCI had linked to her maternity leave even though Plaintiff had returned from leave nearly a year earlier and had received two positive performance reviews and a promotion since then. The WIP also ordered Zylstra Kaiser to rebuild positive relationships with co-workers, supervisors, and managers. Zylstra obeyed, butgotthe cold shoulder from co-workers, including Black, who allegedly told her on November 8, We are done. e}YQYg we2)P93,g;'t}(~ The latest Tweets from South Dakota DCI (@SouthDakotaDCI). Later in the week, Kaiser received another agreement with a payment date of June 8. /Height 2192 UM has more students, faculty and staff than the population of Rapid City. Women were simply good, important, worthwhile people who were smart and valuable. Clark bemoans an America moving forward under a black Democratic president but supports the criminal actions of Denny Daugaard in a crime-ridden, disease-prone chemical toilet like South Dakota: how bipartisan. STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA CLASS SPECIFICATION
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