I wish Laura well with her lawsuit as this has been a long and exhausting road for her and her family. This is so wrong and. ", Former DCI agent receives $1.5 million settlement payment after months of delay, DEVELOPING: First responders on the scene at Husets Speedway after incident, Meteorologists Facebook post on grocery dividers sparks wild debate, Police: Two arrested in overnight burglary in Sioux Falls, 1 killed when business jet encounters severe turbulence, Frontier Climbing hosts first climbing competition in South Dakota, Washington Pavilion hosts free event to celebrate agriculture, Embe hosts FIRST LEGO League state championship, Fourth annual Womens Day of Service building hygiene kits. Zylstra resigned from DCI effective May 18, 2012. I asked my friends if what they thought about the other table. 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. Over the past couple of years, Laura and I have compared our particular time lines along with documented facts and discovery. Former South Dakota DCI Agent Represented by Nichols Kaster receives $1.2 Million Jury Verdict after Suffering Retaliation and Discrimination 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. /Name /PAGE0001 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. Kaiser was represented by James Kaster, Matt Morgan and Lucas Kaster of Nichols Kaster, PLLP in Minneapolis. 4:2012cv04002 - Document 45 (D.S.D. In December 2011, following the work improvement plan, DCI informed Kaiser that effective January 3, 2012, she would be demoted from Special Agent III to Special Agent II and transferred to the Medicare Fraud unit in Pierre, South Dakota, away from her husband, Dan, an Aberdeen police officer, and fourteen month old child. Dont be too hard on PP, he probably just doesnt know how to pull up the complaint. Plaintiff was reassigned to the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in Pierre, South Dakota, over 150 miles from Aberdeen, effective January 3, 2012. "I received a text message from an Aberdeen attorney -- who i'll just leave as anonymous at this point --it said, 'I just talked with Marty on your case, hope that is OK, may I call you to be an intermediary directly with him to have no appeals?' 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. 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 She has been through hell and back and she deserves all of our support as she goes forward. Keep in mind that I have several wonderful male friends whom I respect and enjoy. Her DCI supervisors accused her of failing at numerous job categories which just months earlier were graded as meets or exceeds expectations. endobj Black complained to DCI supervisors that Kaiser created a hostile work environment. It boggles my mind that adult males would behave that way. MC, the deck continues to be stacked in favor of the rapist/molester/harasser. We would have been better off reporting these crimes to the Girl Scouts. Purpose: Conducts investigations If she did something wrong, like breaking the law to catch someone breaking the law, that would be enough. 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. 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. The latest Tweets from South Dakota DCI (@SouthDakotaDCI). 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. "At that time the DCI attorney said they didn't have any money to pay me," Kaiser said. The next day is when things began to go awry. Salary Company Job Openings. HB 1221: Free School Meals for Every Student in South Dakota! As a reminder, I filed a criminal complaint against DCI Agent Mark Black for perjury and other related felonies on March 13, 2014 and ironically he was fired by the AG on that same day. 2 0 obj Since 2005, SA Corey has been with the South Dakota Office of Attorney General in the /Type /Page I reported the criminal complaint to Director Gortmaker, Mike Rounds, Dennis Daugaard and Attorney General Marty Jackley. /Length 8 0 R She appliedfor jobs with the Department of Social Services, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Labor Relations, and private employers but received no offers, because, she alleges, of DCIs negative references and misrepresentations about [her]employment, demotion, discharge, and performance. She filed charges of discrimination in 2014 against those three state agencies who didnt hire her. WebSTATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA CLASS SPECIFICATION Class Title: DCI Special Agent II Class Code: 688802 Pay Grade: L5 _____ A. If all of this is true, then they deserve everything they have coming to them. 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 was transferred to Pierre, demoted from Special Agent III to Special Agent II and moved to a less desirable position. Plaintiff approached Erickson on or about October 18, 2011 and explained that she was not comfortable with his sexually-oriented comments. "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. A couple years ago I was visiting friends in RC and overheard a group at the next table making fun of the women there. Following trial, Kaiser commented: "I would like to thank the jury for their time and for giving me justice. In October 2011, Zylstra talked with fellow female agent Jessica Page about Ericksons harassment, and Page took the same position: reporting Erickson would only lead to trouble. What a filthy, nasty man! Thats hard to find in SD. WebSouth Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Special Agent James Severson (Severson) to investigate Adamson. {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&? Cant we raise our men to treat women better than this? 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. I filed a criminal complaint for Misprision of Felony (SDCL 22-11-12), Obstruction of Justice and Willful Failure to Perform Official Duty (SDCL 3-16-1) regarding: (SDCL 23-3-19) (SDCL 23-3-16) (SDCL 23-3-14) (SDCL 23-3-15) (SDCL 23-3-12) (SDCL 23-3-13) (SDCL 7-16-7) (SDCL 23-3-27) (SDCL 1-12-1) and (SDCL 34-20B-63). stream A South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation agent is up for a national award, but he needs your help. 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. 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. MC, a preponderance of evidence shows that kind of behavior is common place. PLEASE ATTACH THE 7 0 obj I just do not understand why everyone must make this about politics because it is not. %PDF-1.7 Jenny, how about Rochester? Kaiser received positive reviews throughout her career. I know thats not the law, but frankly, these kinds of situations make me so angry . $.' /ProcSet 6 0 R 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. Although she successfully met eight of nine objectives, Plaintiff was involuntarily demoted from Special Agent III to Special Agent II, which resulted in a reduction in her pay. Laura and I believe Black was given his marching orders on that day (November 4, 2011) to get rid of her case along with the Schwab Taliaferro case, partially supported by the following: During the November 4, 2011 off camera recording of Black and Ross Erickson, you can hear the following: Black: I have so much to lose. Indeed, Lar. Amendment S: Crime Victims Bill of Rights, Referred Law 19: Incumbent Protection Plan, Initiated Measure 21: 36% Rate Cap on Payday Loans, Initiated Measure 22: Anti-Corruption Act, Initiated Measure 23: Fair Share Union Dues, revved up their attack on Shirley Schwab and Brandon Taliaferro, Food-Tax Repeal Fails, But Spokesman Claims Noem Did Enough to Promote Promise, LaMie Declines to Investigate Senators for Exercising Legislative Authority over Boobgate Misconduct, Strizheuses Get 28 More Days to Rescue Mansion from Their Own Weak Legal Arguments, Pischke Asking for Criminal Prosecution of Frye-Muellers Suspenders, Crabtree: Senate Not Likely to Revive Food-Tax Repeal, But Noem Still a Hall-of-Famer, SB 149: Senate Approves Special Fund for All Those Yummy Medicaid Expansion Dollars from Uncle Sam, David Johnson Leads Minor Republican Opposition to Meyers Appointment to Board of Education Standards, Tobin Does Not Follow Through on Trying to Resurrect Noems Anti-China Farm Sale Audit Bill, Odenbachs Center for American Exceptionalism Fails to Get Two-Thirds Approval, Noem Fails to Get Food Tax Repeal Through Committee. It is easy to figure out, the men all have the same story so they must be right and the lady a lunatic out to ruin their careers. Anyone believing Marty and the DCI want federal probes of their white boys club is delusional. Comment on blogs in support of these things? q But i doubt it. Im not sympathetic to the cry of males being picked on.. 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. /Type /XObject Brady Folkens ashes should be divided up and ground into the carpets at the governors mansion and at Martys house. On or about October 20, 2011, Erickson told Plaintiff that Black had told the entire office about what was happening. 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.) %PDF-1.5 Black, however, told other members of DCI and the Brown County Sherriffs Office about Ericksons harassment. 4 0 obj She mentioned she regretted telling Black[Complaint, 2015.09.23]. /Parent 3 0 R MN Attorney General Lori Swanson wouldnt put up with it. 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. /Subtype /Image 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. 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. We are South Dakota's premier criminal justice and criminal investigative agency. WebThe South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is accepting applications for DCI Special Agent I or II at this time. WebIn 2018, I began my career as a Special Agent with the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), where I was primarily charged with leading full-spectrum, complex #Bh@*Jpi\uRML)p\;SuS(dO}Ziq.!n1+*T82 ,sV2 #/R9iN6]I#[v`L?K[oWC^3Ch+z;nc. No need for me romanticiz about the DCI, in my relationship with Kevin Thumb there was no love. If not, it really doesnt matter, their lives might as well, be over. 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. ;8bUOacWkLV}g$iE"$EaH5fjov,R W4N6RFOfrE>FjZ Zkp Y FUC#4L=p5AkLF drA*15Dxhl[JE,+0K@&Z]uo *JKLWd,|:9d=0w$Ec=yY/xIUF!JyZ1f1==4VKP,R#.U1/g nUv./m-71iqJAis Gutd 4sLwi DCI said they didn't have it. Kaiser then confronted Erickson one-on-one and asked him to stop the harassment. Learn from the gay men. 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. $100,000?" endobj Then comes Brown County Deputy Ross Erickson: In or about August 2011, Brown County Deputy Ross Erickson was assigned to the Drug Task Force. 3 0 obj How often do you contact your legislators and Congress people about these issues? . They were dated back to March. Kaiser again said she didn't want to wait for the money and refused to sign any agreement until she had the checks in hand. 2 0 obj Not when they intend to use her to send a message. /Height 2192 DCI Special Agent I or II. The only objective Kaiser did not complete according to DCI was rebuilding the trust with the men in the office who had shunned her. I say so here and now. 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. WebWelcome to the DCI Website. <> We will not be silenced. WebThe South Dakota Bureau of Human Resources believes in building, developing, and supporting a high-performing and healthy workforce. Anyone know if Marty has to recuse himself from this case before a federal judge? She charges Black with tortious interference, meaning he underminedher contractualrelationship with DCIto cover his backside. Zylstra Kaiser now charges Gortmaker withreprisal discrimination and sex discrimination under the federal Civil Rights Act and the South Dakota Human RelationsAct. That afternoon, Black surreptitiously met with Erickson, Bahr, and Lunzman in a park. The total warrants served in 2011 were 401. 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. Our attorneys are zealous advocates committed to fighting for the justice our clients deserve. FormerDivision of Criminal Investigation special agent Laura Zylstra Kaiser of Aberdeen is suingDCI chief Bryan Gortmaker and former DCI agent Mark Black for hindering her employment. WebTimothy R. Whalen, Esq. For a moment,Zylstra thought shed found a supportive ear: Black was supportive offered to speak to Erickson for Plaintiff. At the conclusion of trial, the jury found in favor of Kaiser on both her retaliation and gender discrimination claims. MC, how often do you talk with your male friends about the need to strengthen sex crimes laws, make sure all the rape kits get tested, put more money into child protection, really go after dead beat dads, etc? 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. 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.. A memorial sign honoring their sacrifice was placed north of Spearfish on U.S. Highway 85. e}YQYg we2)P93,g;'t}(~ The cold, hard, fact remains, males perpetrate more than 90% of the sexual crimes. 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. Plaintiff thanked Black for his support and asked him not to tell anyone about her difficulties with Erickson. Zylstra Kaiser filed grievances over the demotion and transferwith Gortmaker and Attorney General Marty Jackley. ~D$fQn}d0(i \I$EauuuF|]>p(_t^A :5u2t,2!u6lTN .cL ;8zMxko^ {q//[\{J1hd@K yzN3B=_J. # He said, she said, with the DCI boys holding the stay out of trouble card in the form of shared talking points. Kaiser told Erickson to stop, but his comments persisted. 609.5 0.0 0.0 789.1 1.3 1.4 cm Web7 Enforcement Agent jobs available in South Dakota on Indeed.com. As you look through the sections that describe the duties of the Division of Criminal Investigation, you will notice that we are very busy working in the background to keep South Dakota citizens safe. There are just too many smart capable women in power. Did you know the U of MN has a very active police force of their own to try and fight back all the horrible crimes that are occurring on that campus? Plaintiff apologized and stated that it was not her intent to have the office know about the issue. That seems to be SOP for the DCI for a while now. And I have met with Jessica Page, who despite appearing to sincerely want to help the crime victim, was completely incompetent. If we blogged about every one of those crimes it would be 100 times the volume of blogging that Mr. H can issue forth. This lawsuit, wherever it leads, provides another window on the corruption that oozes from every crevice in state government, Benda, EB-5, the GEAR UP matter, and much other business the current regime in Pierre is involved in. Jackley said he played no part in Kaiser's settlement, but she said, she's not sure what to believe. Disgusted that Mrs Kaiser had to put up with such criminal behavior by a co-worker and then her supervisors. If Im reading MC correctly, he wants the media out of the daily political and civic activities of our society until a court of law has determined innocence or guilt. Women and children cant do it. 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. D-D$3I20eV&,$~ n. Lets hope she gets a judge that isnt in the tank for the administration. St~|AJtSZ]l!YBY?$@,!U82XV{/p*6)aPV%l[#gX[G|H5>>&AIX%q.&F%fF7vM4}"~W2(/:>)cS| a. Kaiser said she's not sure what Jackley's role in her settlement was, but believes blame for the delay partially falls on him. UM has more students, faculty and staff than the population of Rapid City. << /PAGE0001 7 0 R >> I also tried to initiate the Commencement of Proceedings for the Removal of Law Enforcement Officer upon written complaint of a citizen of the State (SDCL 3-17-6) with Service and Notice to SD Attorney General of the Waiver of Sovereign Immunity (SDCL 21-32-18) of the Defendant, but a corrupt Judge in Beadle County illegally prevented the Clerk of Courts from filing it. 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. WebClass Title: DCI Special Agent III Class Code: 688804 Pay Grade: L6 _____ A. TFeJxXop(I#Z,k^Uv "A@'(''C6eRE .Qn4vL*2{i}SaeaXCYzoKmw7'}jgaL@gWan7T4('9|K,"-w^l. 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. WebDCI Special Agent I or II South Dakota State Government Statewide, SD. Then those comments would be taken out of context and used against them. $20 says this thing never goes to court and is settled for an undisclosed ammount. The only way this will ever before a jury is if Ms. Zylstra Kaiser asks for more than Marty is willing to pay: its just that simple. Its extremely rare that I hear women made fun of or harassed here. WebThe graph below represents the number of search warrants DCI Special Agents participated in from 2008 through 2011. Statewide, SD. Yea. endobj WebOur special agents are full-spectrum criminal investigators, handling all manners of felony-level criminal activity. 2013) case opinion from the District of South Dakota U.S. Federal District Court Skill and professionalism are just as important as the ability to connect on a personal level. It looks to me like she will be the one that is really on trial. I am also well aware that the large majority of males are not sexual criminals. . @c`m6x\^=5^'Gb68qk!b@8hg"Xv3nK2 -gW Am 8%d>!EDB8jOpG/4Ps0 Q}Y5z0VF3,=i0U`d ~o^Lq92,r+f^$-Gxpv1yGTY/0 6Lqa{b.K!hD%D*pc?X;^3 F`c!. }1-"y, b.|7h" i>1d&1 Makes one wonder if DCI does anything right. Unless she has some kind of admissible digital evidence shes screwed. To say this lawsuit is about SD Representative Dan Kaiser is merely a distraction to the real story. On information and belief, and knowing Even would investigate Plaintiffs harassment complaint, Black worked with Erickson, Bahr, and Lunzman to formulate a set of talking points in an effort to have Plaintiff removed from the department or terminated, including planning to state they did not trust Plaintiff, she falsified the harassment to test Blacks trustworthiness, they were unwilling to work with her, and that she was mentally ill and schizophrenic[Complaint, 2015.09.23]. Let the defendants defend themselves in a court of law. All you need to know about him is that he is an habitual liar. 8 days ago. Near the end of February, Kaiser and her lawyer made a verbal agreement with the DCI attorney. She seeks, among other things, a jury trial, compensatory relief and damages arising from loss of past and future income, benefits, emotional distress, and other damages, with interest on such amounts, and punitive damages in an amount in excess of $75,000, and lawyer fees. And the U of MN has added the Affirmative Consent Sexual Activity standard. More Highway Patrol Trooper South Dakota State Government So youre saying, Bob, dont just feign it? Popular Locations. None of the men, including Ross Erickson, were disciplined by DCI or the Brown County Sherriffs Office. Child abuse cases ought to have the same standard. They got both in front of me., Erickson: Stick with me Ill take you to the promised land.. South Dakota DCI @SouthDakotaDCI Jun 4 In May, DCI Agents joined in a ceremony honoring the late Special Agent Tom Matthews Sr. and former Butte County Sheriff Dave Malcolm, who were both slain in the line of duty in 1946. there are appealable issues, but he has final say.'". >> << Clark is pounding sand into our assets. stream 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. We believe the both in front of me were our individual cases. WebSTATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA CLASS SPECIFICATION Class Title: DCI Special Agent I Class Code: 688801 Pay Grade: L4 _____ A. WebSTATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA CLASS SPECIFICATION Class Title: DCI Special Agent Supervisor Class Code: 688805 Pay Grade: L7 _____ A. I acknowledge MCs point that there is surely more to the story. Phone: (605) 330-4862 . Kaiser said if Jackley wasn't involved, she's not sure why that mattered. MC has taken the typical male republican position here, doubt the womans credibility and worry about future of the men involved. You cite a few anecdotes, and Im sure instances happen. In the meantime, let us all take a breath, put politics and rhetoric aside, and support this courageous young lady. Sad, really, we were the greatest country on earth, and we cant even get this right. endobj 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.
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