/Subtype /Image POSTED ON 6/23/2022 AVAILABLE BEFORE 12/22/2022. 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. To all the men out there that need advice on how to treat women in the workplace, Ill give you a clue. Indeed, Lar. Incremental steps have been taken to give the victim a little better chance. The sentence is always a lifetime sentence of shame. "My attorney made three attempts to contact the DCI attorney on different days -- no response. Kaiser then confronted Erickson one-on-one and asked him to stop the harassment. 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 Let the defendants defend themselves in a court of law. And the U of MN has added the Affirmative Consent Sexual Activity standard. Unless she has some kind of admissible digital evidence shes screwed. Then those comments would be taken out of context and used against them. Job ID: 18640 Location: Statewide Step 1: Complete And I have met with Jessica Page, who despite appearing to sincerely want to help the crime victim, was completely incompetent. At the conclusion of trial, the jury found in favor of Kaiser on both her retaliation and gender discrimination claims. Ms Zylstra Kaiser encountered the same players involved in the events that led up to the malicious prosecution of Taliferro-Schwab, including Kim Dorsett. DCI Special Agent I or II in South Dakota State Government; Rapid City, SD. Lastly, Lauras lawsuit is about sexual harassment, discrimination, intimidation and the retaliation that followed after she tried to report it. They are innocent until proven guilty based on a preponderance of the evidence. Thanks. WebClass Title: DCI Special Agent III Class Code: 688804 Pay Grade: L6 _____ A. Weighing onZylstra Kaisers mind, though, was a 2005 experience in which shehad reported another co-worker for sexual harassmentand gotten the wrong response from the boss: Her then-supervisor, Assistant Director Brian Zeeb, said her complaint could be seen as a sign of weakness and made a comment along the lines of, In the future, if you want a promotion or transfer to a new duty station, some may see this incident as your inability to get along with others. Rather than undertaking an investigation, Zeeb forced her to confronther harasser. TFeJxXop(I#Z,k^Uv "A@'(''C6eRE .Qn4vL*2{i}SaeaXCYzoKmw7'}jgaL@gWan7T4('9|K,"-w^l. The DCI will get its day in court, but the question is how to give many other apparent miscreants their day in court. In March 2012, Kaiser received her worst review of her eight-year career. Purpose: Conducts or assists with criminal 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. She was paid on Wednesday after several months of negotiations. Erickson said, Thats just the way I am, but Kaiser said that was not acceptable. What a filthy, nasty man! [/PDF /ImageC] There are some parts of SD where women are treated with respect and dignity. 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. Skill and professionalism are just as important as the ability to connect on a personal level. Anyone know if Marty has to recuse himself from this case before a federal judge? endobj Males write the laws in every state and DC. Black attempted to shift the blame to Plaintiff and began ignoring her. $100,000?" 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 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. 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. Dont be too hard on PP, he probably just doesnt know how to pull up the complaint. Our attorneys are zealous advocates committed to fighting for the justice our clients deserve. Apply to Correctional Officer, Inventory Associate, Special Agent and more! SD women you dont have to put up with such nastiness. 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 /Filter /DCTDecode Gay men in MN are very open now when it comes to gay equality and all I can say is that the world has been a better place for me for having met these decent men. Kaiser was transferred to Pierre, demoted from Special Agent III to Special Agent II and moved to a less desirable position. 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. So, the bad guys got away; not because they were clever criminal masterminds, but because of the corruption and incompetence of SD DCI Law Enforcement. 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. /Parent 3 0 R Over the past couple of years, Laura and I have compared our particular time lines along with documented facts and discovery. JFIF ;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 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. Popular Locations. In October 2011, Kaiser confided in fellow DCI agent, Mark Black, about how to respond to Ericksons harassment. That afternoon, Black surreptitiously met with Erickson, Bahr, and Lunzman in a park. <>>> DCI Special Agent I or II. <> Dont ever approach me again.. yeah, this is pretty much how sexual harassment is handled in this state, right grudz? Run some stats on ethnic crimes for us, wouldja? (no offense to the Girl Scouts). WebSouth Dakota Attorney General Mark Vargo named an interim director of the South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigation on Tuesday. There might be more to the this story than what we see here. endobj On information and belief, Plaintiff is the only agent who has ever been transferred against her wishes[Complaint, 2015.09.23]. With no other option, Kaiser resigned from DCI on May 8, 2012. 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He said, she said, with the DCI boys holding the stay out of trouble card in the form of shared talking points. The jury awarded Kaiser $311,812.00 in lost wages, $498,929.00 in lost retirement benefits, and $400,000.00 in emotional distress damages. It appears the DCI & AG offices are incapable of investigating themselves, much less being trusted to know what right looks like, then do it. They greeted each other with an extended ritual of feigned nut-grabbing and knee-lifts-to-groins that would have appeared immature among 10-year-olds, and was performed in front of the county treasurer and auditor windows. Youve already gotten more of my time than I usually give you, sock puppet. #Bh@*Jpi\uRML)p\;SuS(dO}Ziq.!n1+*T82 ,sV2 #/R9iN6]I#[v`L?K[oWC^3Ch+z;nc. Erickson acknowledged his comments were inappropriate, apologized, and said he would not make any such comments in the future [Complaint, 2015.09.23]. She now runs her own private investigation company. Special Agents et al, No. Clark is pounding sand into our assets. 6 0 obj It caught my ear because it was so unusual to me. St~|AJtSZ]l!YBY?$@,!U82XV{/p*6)aPV%l[#gX[G|H5>>&AIX%q.&F%fF7vM4}"~W2(/:>)cS| a. /Type /Page A couple years ago I was visiting friends in RC and overheard a group at the next table making fun of the women there. A South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation agent is up for a national award, but he needs your help. Q This is about corruption in the State of South Dakota and it is because of strong and determined individuals such as Laura Kaiser that this type of unacceptable behavior will finally be exposed for what it is. The next day is when things began to go awry. A special agent of the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) sought several search warrants involving the Implicated Individual. )/ Kaiser was represented by James Kaster, Matt Morgan and Lucas Kaster of Nichols Kaster, PLLP in Minneapolis. http://www.ag.state.mn.us/ 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. The circuit court approved the They will never be trusted again. 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. @Roger Cornelius Curious when you did your nation wide survey that supports your asinine assertion? Sad, really, we were the greatest country on earth, and we cant even get this right. South Dakota has a criminal for a governor just like voters wanted. I have not only watched and observed her efforts these past 3 years but supported her every step of the way as well. Sioux Falls, SD . endobj Purpose: Conducts investigations Thats too bad for SD and a real reason people leave. >> /Height 2192 There have been other situations where the woman will start conversation and steer in way to get a man to say something he normally wouldnt. Erickson told Kaiser to get keys out of his pocket, described sex with his wife to Kaiser, and asked Kaiser if she was horny when she was pregnant, among others. I hope my experience can give strength to other victims of sexual harassment. Kaiser said she'd been patient and asked for a "good faith payment," of "anything? They sure dont need to kill her. An anatomy of the dysfunction under which so much of state government operates. . Later in the week, Kaiser received another agreement with a payment date of June 8. 2 0 obj No need for me romanticiz about the DCI, in my relationship with Kevin Thumb there was no love. Is this a symptom of the Good Ol Boy mentality that reeks throughout the state? 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. <> Ms. Geelsdottir, I support all those things. I mostly agree with you Jenny. WebThe graph below represents the number of search warrants DCI Special Agents participated in from 2008 through 2011. It was a wonderful atmosphere. 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. The court of public opinion is different than court of law. All you need to know about him is that he is an habitual liar. The deck is so stacked against the accuser. When she spoke about her guns, commenting to her that sounds hot; Petting her hair and, on one occasion, putting his arm around her and swaying; When Plaintiff asked for his keys, stating they were in his pocket and she should get them herself; After Plaintiff said her husband would be out of town that weekend, asking her: Should I come over Saturday around 6? and, Having her watch a lewd music video set in a police department [. 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. Women and children cant do it. 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. >> }1-"y, b.|7h" i>1d&1 This case and settlement was handled by the Governors Office of Risk Management and the States insurance company. We have a woman who is making some very serious allegations against a group of men. As you look through the sections that describe the duties of the Division of Criminal Investigation, you will notice Kaiser said she was reluctant about telling her superiors and eventually was forced out of her post as retaliation for reporting it. LOCATION. Kaiser said if Jackley wasn't involved, she's not sure why that mattered. . Washington, DC; Chicago, IL; New York, NY; San Francisco, CA; Dallas, TX; Search. When called to account, Black allegedly turned against Zylstra Erickson: Later that day, Plaintiff approached Black and asked why he shared her personal information. /PAGE0001 Do 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. Why South Dakotans stand for it remains a mystery. Plaintiff approached Erickson on or about October 18, 2011 and explained that she was not comfortable with his sexually-oriented comments. Mrs Kaiser is in fact Rep Dan Kaisers wife, a noted male Republican, who obviously supports her. Plaintiff thanked Black for his support and asked him not to tell anyone about her difficulties with Erickson. I truly doubt it many other individuals would have endured what she has and kept on fighting to get to this point. WebThis week, we welcomed a new Special Agent to the Division of Criminal Investigation family! 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. {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&? Eventually, she was forced to resign in 2012. 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. 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. 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 ? Plaintiff considered his offer but decided she would speak to Erickson herself. 3 0 obj Indeed. WebAbout us. 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. 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.) It looks to me like she will be the one that is really on trial. It looks like an impossible trial to get a verdict. Then comes Brown County Deputy Ross Erickson: In or about August 2011, Brown County Deputy Ross Erickson was assigned to the Drug Task Force. 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. Kaiser said she's not sure what Jackley's role in her settlement was, but believes blame for the delay partially falls on him. 8 days ago. 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. My Mother first reported these Kaiser received positive reviews throughout her career. Its extremely rare that I hear women made fun of or harassed here. /Length 8 0 R 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+ Following trial, Kaiser commented: "I would like to thank the jury for their time and for giving me justice. 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. Recently, Special Agent Krierwho is assigned to the DCIs Electronic Crimes Unit and Internet Crimes 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. 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. Kaiser said she did tell Rep. Kristi Noem her story about her experience, but didn't sign or agree to anything official to have it used against Jackley in Noem's campaign, however, "Kristi is free to use it," she said. Salary Company Job Openings. Zylstra Kaiser filed grievances over the demotion and transferwith Gortmaker and Attorney General Marty Jackley. Cant we raise our men to treat women better than this? x3>J, .$Sku4ftRQJ~}9NdHq.qP/zixl~omw77DH?cI,(RV/{~,HAI56i%R,LW|R//7,XEZ!o@%BCW%rQ5IY\FrR},X@%YtLs6IEE$Q$ YYZwLwK/woUJm7rwznh?h-;o yGH-S$$O"hIc 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. >> DCI said they didn't have it. I have seen situations were women have threaten sexual harassment, to get what what they want. Web7 Enforcement Agent jobs available in South Dakota on Indeed.com. demoted from Special Agent III to Special Agent II and moved to a less desirable position. %PDF-1.5 Both grievances were denied. % 1 0 obj $20 says this thing never goes to court and is settled for an undisclosed ammount. WebSTATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA CLASS SPECIFICATION Class Title: DCI Special Agent II Class Code: 688802 Pay Grade: L5 _____ A. Cops lives suck. The paperwork was signed and finalized by the Governors Office of Risk Management on Monday, May 21, 2018. 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. <>>> stream box 160 Pierre, SD 57501 Telephone: 605-224-8803 Attorneys for Defendant and Appellee _____________________ The Director of the Division of Criminal Investigation, Bryan Gortmaker, first received the compromise settlement agreement and release in full of all claims on Friday, May 18, 2018. Keep in mind that I have several wonderful male friends whom I respect and enjoy. HB 1221: Free School Meals for Every Student in South Dakota! WebDCI Special Agent I or II South Dakota State Government Statewide, SD. WebOur special agents are full-spectrum criminal investigators, handling all manners of felony-level criminal activity.