dci special agent south dakota

'GE%ueEy Z"*L>O ;FVIL$E ^tjx%|{/&,8px%q|A`;%)e9SO8w% And the U of MN has added the Affirmative Consent Sexual Activity standard. Kaiser successfully completed eight of the nine objectives of the plan, one of which required her to undergo a psychological evaluation. 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. DCI said they didn't have it. 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 endobj 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. WebThis week, we welcomed a new Special Agent to the Division of Criminal Investigation family! Lauras complaint will be heard in both South Dakota Federal and State court proceedings. 8 days ago. 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? More Highway Patrol Trooper South Dakota State Government 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. /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB We are South Dakota's premier criminal justice and criminal investigative agency. 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. 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. 609.5 0.0 0.0 789.1 1.3 1.4 cm We would have been better off reporting these crimes to the Girl Scouts. South Dakota has a criminal for a governor just like voters wanted. Your email address will not be published. Apply to Correctional Officer, Inventory Associate, Special Agent and more! 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. Phone: (605) 330-4862 . The circuit court approved the With no other option, Kaiser resigned from DCI on May 8, 2012. Meanwhile, Mark Black was in the Brown County DCI interrogation rooms going after the Mette children in a strategic attempt to get them to change their stories. /Parent 3 0 R It appears the DCI & AG offices are incapable of investigating themselves, much less being trusted to know what right looks like, then do it. The original settlement said Kaiser was to be paid by April 1 and no later than April 15. Deb G, I could never see this good olboy mentality happening in MN. Kaiser said she's not sure what Jackley's role in her settlement was, but believes blame for the delay partially falls on him. Both grievances were denied. 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. 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Cant we raise our men to treat women better than this? DCI Special Agent I or II. POSTED. I have worked with the nicest, most decent, sweetest homosexual men and can tell you that I much prefer them over some straight guy that thinks hes gods gift to women. In our society we do have courts of laws that seek the truth, in South Dakota justice is what the republican party says it is, and we also have the court of public opinion which can be as valuable as a court of law. Males write the laws in every state and DC. I have seen situations were women have threaten sexual harassment, to get what what they want. A memorial sign honoring their sacrifice was placed north of Spearfish on U.S. Highway 85. 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. Since then, Mark Black has stated he never contacted or interviewed by law enforcement or the Attorney Generals office regarding my criminal complaint and only learned about it after the SD AG had dismissed my complaint as reported by news media. q To say this lawsuit is about SD Representative Dan Kaiser is merely a distraction to the real story. $.' >> 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 All you need to know about him is that he is an habitual liar. Skill and professionalism are just as important as the ability to connect on a personal level. 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. 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. 4 0 obj The paperwork was signed and finalized by the Governors Office of Risk Management on Monday, May 21, 2018. Zylstra-Kaiser is doing the right thing by exposing them all. Severson initially came to Centerville on August 18, Makes one wonder if DCI does anything right. Women and children cant do it. Dont ever approach me again.. Kaiser said the DCI attorney met her in Redfield, at his request, to give her the two checks. 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. That seems to be SOP for the DCI for a while now. 4 0 obj <> Do any of you know the complex and exhausting process Laura Kaiser had to go through before she could actually file this type of complaint in both Federal and State Court? 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. As Shirley Schwab points out, Ms. Zylstra Kaiser was going through her experience at the same time the DCI and AG office were performing on the Taliaferro-Schwab debacle, and Blacks conduct is a matter of a trail transcript which leads to the judge dismissing the case against them with specific mention of Blacks performance being one of the reasons. Anyone believing Marty and the DCI want federal probes of their white boys club is delusional. Comment on blogs in support of these things? 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. But i doubt it. 1 0 obj To all the men out there that need advice on how to treat women in the workplace, Ill give you a clue. Black complained to DCI supervisors that Kaiser created a hostile work environment. It looks like an impossible trial to get a verdict. 4 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. WebWelcome to the DCI Website. 2 0 obj Lets hope she gets a judge that isnt in the tank for the administration. "My attorney made three attempts to contact the DCI attorney on different days -- no response. She lost her dream job and her career because she stood up for what is right. If all of this is true, then they deserve everything they have coming to them. TFeJxXop(I#Z,k^Uv "A@'(''C6eRE .Qn4vL*2{i}SaeaXCYzoKmw7'}jgaL@gWan7T4('9|K,"-w^l. $20 says this thing never goes to court and is settled for an undisclosed ammount. WebTimothy R. Whalen, Esq. Most importantly Laura has the truth on her side. This law suit may lead the way. Then comes Brown County Deputy Ross Erickson: In or about August 2011, Brown County Deputy Ross Erickson was assigned to the Drug Task Force. Kaiser told Erickson to stop, but his comments persisted. While none have involved sexual advances (in either direction), the descriptions of DCI personnel here fit with my observations in general of DCI agents. My country ranch church in northwest SD was like that. Zylstra resigned from DCI effective May 18, 2012. Thats a wonderful policy. 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. We have a woman who is making some very serious allegations against a group of men. @Roger Cornelius Curious when you did your nation wide survey that supports your asinine assertion? And I have met with Jessica Page, who despite appearing to sincerely want to help the crime victim, was completely incompetent. Later in the week, Kaiser received another agreement with a payment date of June 8. 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. . You cite a few anecdotes, and Im sure instances happen. In August 2011, Kaiser was ranked as meets or exceeds in every job category. Box 127 Lake Andes, SD 57356 Telephone: 605-487-7645 Attorney for Plaintiff and Appellant ______________________ Robert B. Anderson May, Adam, Gerdes & Thompson P.O. ",#(7),01444'9=82. endobj Plaintiff thanked Black for his support and asked him not to tell anyone about her difficulties with Erickson. 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. Remember, her life will be an open book before they would get through, and those low lifes arent just setting around playing racehorse pitch. A special agent of the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) sought several search warrants involving the Implicated Individual. 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 cold, hard, fact remains, males perpetrate more than 90% of the sexual crimes. Kaiser said she was reluctant about telling her superiors and eventually was forced out of her post as retaliation for reporting it. Incremental steps have been taken to give the victim a little better chance. Finished: John D. MacDonald's 'The Brass Cupcake'. /Type /Page WebAbout us. I looked around to see if anyone was noticing. There will be no trial and South Dakota will settle for an undisclosed amount of cash. Kaiser said she'd been patient and asked for a "good faith payment," of "anything? Keep in mind that I have several wonderful male friends whom I respect and enjoy. Whalen Law Office, P.C. endobj %PDF-1.5 "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. She mentioned she regretted telling Black[Complaint, 2015.09.23]. Jenny, how about Rochester? /BitsPerComponent 8 Thats too bad for SD and a real reason people leave. Thats hard to find in SD. HB 1221: Free School Meals for Every Student in South Dakota! Lets look at Zylstra Kaisers complaint, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Aberdeen, to learn what thesuit is about. Ms. Geelsdottir, I support all those things. What a filthy, nasty man! <> They were dated back to March. JFIF For a moment,Zylstra thought shed found a supportive ear: Black was supportive offered to speak to Erickson for Plaintiff. 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. Kaiser was transferred to Pierre, demoted from Special Agent III to Special Agent II and moved to a less desirable position. 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.. 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. 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.. 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. We believe the interrogations were live streamed to Pierre with someone feeding Black intimidating, confusing and attacking questions to ask the Mette children. MC-you got your story ass backwards. Kaiser said if Jackley wasn't involved, she's not sure why that mattered. demoted from Special Agent III to Special Agent II and moved to a less desirable position. Maybe it was around in the old day, but not now. Zylstra Kaiser now charges Gortmaker withreprisal discrimination and sex discrimination under the federal Civil Rights Act and the South Dakota Human RelationsAct. Not when they intend to use her to send a message. Males need to change other males. 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. Following trial, Kaiser commented: "I would like to thank the jury for their time and for giving me justice. WebOur special agents are full-spectrum criminal investigators, handling all manners of felony-level criminal activity. In October 2011, Kaiser confided in fellow DCI agent, Mark Black, about how to respond to Ericksons harassment. 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. $100,000?" endobj I asked my friends if what they thought about the other table. Unless she has some kind of admissible digital evidence shes screwed. D-D$3I20eV&,$~ n. /Filter /DCTDecode 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. Our attorneys are zealous advocates committed to fighting for the justice our clients deserve. ~D$fQn}d0(i \I$EauuuF|]>p(_t^A :5u2t,2!u6lTN .cL ;8zMxko^ {q//[\{J1hd@K yzN3B=_J. # Why South Dakotans stand for it remains a mystery. Kaiser said at that time she signed the agreement. Let the defendants defend themselves in a court of law. Youve already gotten more of my time than I usually give you, sock puppet. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Since 1937, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation has served as the lifeline of support to South Dakotas law enforcement agencies, leading criminal Then those comments would be taken out of context and used against them. 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. JOB DETAILS. >> q 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 Web7 Enforcement Agent jobs available in South Dakota on Indeed.com. It looks to me like she will be the one that is really on trial. [/PDF /ImageC] She has been through hell and back and she deserves all of our support as she goes forward.