I was going to write a nice Christmas post about being with family, and taking some time off until the New Year, when just as I was about to leave - a phone call came in.
Keith Gladney, the brother to SEIU beating victim Kenneth Gladney, was terminated from his job with the St Louis County Department of Health. Just one month ago, Keith spoke to KMOX reporter Kevin Killeen about the delay by the county in approaching his brother's case. Was this a clear case of retaliatory, Chicago-style politics?
The circumstances are very fishy. Gladney's supervisor was not there, but instead a South County Supervisor was brought in. The termination charges were never communicated to Mr. Gladney when they supposedly occurred, and the manner in which he was fired, and the reasons behind it would make many an employment lawyer clap their hands in glee.
Among the people not clapping are the Gladney family, who have had one son beaten for standing between SEIU staff members and their goal of this healthcare bill, and now another son who seems to have been targeted for daring to speak out against the injustice done to his brother. Two days before Christmas, in an manner inconsistent with traditional protocols, Keith was fired. No severance - no two weeks. And the worst part? The Gladneys aren't even political. They're bystanders uninvolved with these issues who have made the mistake of daring to stand up for themselves.
There are details that back these very strong statements up, but considering the manner in which the Gladney beating case was handled, I'm going to let the Gladney family address them in the appropriate manner.
This cannot stand. In this case, someone in St Louis County government overplayed their hand. Badly.
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