WebThis week, we welcomed a new Special Agent to the Division of Criminal Investigation family! 4 0 obj 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. <> }1-"y, b.|7h" i>1d&1 "My attorney made three attempts to contact the DCI attorney on different days -- no response. There might be more to the this story than what we see here. 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. 4:2012cv04002 - Document 45 (D.S.D. 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.) 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]. MN Attorney General Lori Swanson wouldnt put up with it. endobj Kaiser then confronted Erickson one-on-one and asked him to stop the harassment. 3 0 obj More Highway Patrol Trooper South Dakota State Government 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. Former DCI agent Laura Zylstra Kaiser says the state of South Dakota delayed paying her $1.5 million settlement, following a lawsuit over workplace sexual harassment. It was a wonderful atmosphere. If all of this is true, then they deserve everything they have coming to them. They are innocent until proven guilty based on a preponderance of the evidence. That lack of cooperation from her co-workers led to job consequences for Zylstra Kaiser: On December 8, 2011, Assistant Director Dan Satterlee informed Plaintiff she met the WIPs requirements with one exception: she had not rebuilt positive relationships. Since 1937, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation has served as the lifeline of support to South Dakotas law enforcement agencies, leading criminal @c`m6x\^=5^'Gb68qk!b@8hg"Xv3nK2 -gW Am 8%d>!EDB8jOpG/4Ps0 Q}Y5z0VF3,=i0U`d ~o^Lq92,r+f^$-Gxpv1yGTY/0 6Lqa{b.K!hD%D*pc?X;^3 F`c!. 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. << Zylstra Kaiser now charges Gortmaker withreprisal discrimination and sex discrimination under the federal Civil Rights Act and the South Dakota Human RelationsAct. It boggles my mind that adult males would behave that way. It looks like an impossible trial to get a verdict. Kaiser said she's not sure what Jackley's role in her settlement was, but believes blame for the delay partially falls on him. 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. Zylstra Kaiser says she went to work for the DCI Drug Task Force straight out law school in August 2003. We need to get Gortmaker, Black, Erickson, and Jackley speaking on the record to what happened. There are just too many smart capable women in power. 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. (no offense to the Girl Scouts). Her DCI supervisors accused her of failing at numerous job categories which just months earlier were graded as meets or exceeds expectations. "On February 28th I received a copy of that agreement," Kaiser said. Black then met with Erickson, DCI agent Dave Lunzman and Brown County Sherriffs Deputy Damien Bahr at a local park. It looks to me like she will be the one that is really on trial. << /PAGE0001 7 0 R >> Near the end of February, Kaiser and her lawyer made a verbal agreement with the DCI attorney. At the conclusion of trial, the jury found in favor of Kaiser on both her retaliation and gender discrimination claims. My Mother first reported these 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. Cops lives suck. WebSTATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA CLASS SPECIFICATION Class Title: DCI Special Agent II Class Code: 688802 Pay Grade: L5 _____ A. Child abuse cases ought to have the same standard. Wingnuts are spinning a tangled web and one day they will receive their just rewards. Clark is pounding sand into our assets. We have a woman who is making some very serious allegations against a group of men. If we blogged about every one of those crimes it would be 100 times the volume of blogging that Mr. H can issue forth. << They hadnt noticed because it was a routine event. 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? Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Support South Dakotas best independent journalism: donate to. MC-you got your story ass backwards. The cold, hard, fact remains, males perpetrate more than 90% of the sexual crimes. The only thing left is for involuntary sex reassignment. 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. e}YQYg we2)P93,g;'t}(~ In October 2011, Kaiser confided in fellow DCI agent, Mark Black, about how to respond to Ericksons harassment. Severson initially came to Centerville on August 18, Dont be too hard on PP, he probably just doesnt know how to pull up the complaint. Later in the week, Kaiser received another agreement with a payment date of June 8. On or about October 20, 2011, Erickson told Plaintiff that Black had told the entire office about what was happening. WebThe South Dakota Bureau of Human Resources believes in building, developing, and supporting a high-performing and healthy workforce. Phone: (605) 330-4862 . The original settlement said Kaiser was to be paid by April 1 and no later than April 15. <>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> 1 0 obj <> A jury awarded Kaiser a settlement for sexual harassment and other damages on Dec. 27, 2017 against her former boss, Bryan Gortmaker. In the meantime, let us all take a breath, put politics and rhetoric aside, and support this courageous young lady. If not, it really doesnt matter, their lives might as well, be over. They sure dont need to kill her. LOCATION. This case and settlement was handled by the Governors Office of Risk Management and the States insurance company. Apply. 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. endobj 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. Indeed, Lar. 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. Plaintiff apologized and stated that it was not her intent to have the office know about the issue. On information and belief, Plaintiff is the only agent who has ever been transferred against her wishes[Complaint, 2015.09.23]. 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. <> 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. A South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation agent is up for a national award, but he needs your help. That afternoon, Black surreptitiously met with Erickson, Bahr, and Lunzman in a park. 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. Q It will be difficult to defend Black and anyone who tries to use his words and actions as credible evidence. . I have not only watched and observed her efforts these past 3 years but supported her every step of the way as well. Mrs Kaiser is in fact Rep Dan Kaisers wife, a noted male Republican, who obviously supports her. Preston Johnson, Special Agent E-mail: preston.johnson@oig.hhs.gov US Department of Health and Human Services, OIG . Plaintiff approached Erickson on or about October 18, 2011 and explained that she was not comfortable with his sexually-oriented comments. 5 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? 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. Black attempted to shift the blame to Plaintiff and began ignoring her. But i doubt it. The DCI will get its day in court, but the question is how to give many other apparent miscreants their day in court. My Mother first reported these crimes to agent Joshua Bobzein who was so horrible that I actually had to file a criminal complaint against Bobzein. Plaintiff considered his offer but decided she would speak to Erickson herself. Women are not perfect. "When I looked at this, I thought it was odd because in my lawsuit, Laura Zylstra Kaiser versus Bryan Gortmaker that was my lawsuit. 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. They got both in front of me., Erickson: Stick with me Ill take you to the promised land.. 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 [. 4 0 obj WebOur special agents are full-spectrum criminal investigators, handling all manners of felony-level criminal activity. They were dated back to March. When they speak, I will report. Kaiser received positive reviews throughout her career. $20 says this thing never goes to court and is settled for an undisclosed ammount. As a result of this experience with DCI administration, Plaintiff feared future reports would adversely affect her career [Complaint, 2015.09.23]. I just do not understand why everyone must make this about politics because it is not. Think about it: NorthWestern Energy is reaching an agreement with PUC commissioners whose campaign coffers they fill while Mike Rounds pushes for legislation that pads utilities like NorthWestern Energy and Xcel who are paying off his campaign debt after he promised to be the 9 million dollar man. Sioux Falls, SD . Sad, really, we were the greatest country on earth, and we cant even get this right. Zylstra-Kaiser is doing the right thing by exposing them all. HB 1221: Free School Meals for Every Student in South Dakota! Apply to Correctional Officer, Inventory Associate, Special Agent and more! 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. WebSouth Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Special Agent James Severson (Severson) to investigate Adamson. 8 days ago. Yea. 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. The sentence is always a lifetime sentence of shame. 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. To say this lawsuit is about SD Representative Dan Kaiser is merely a distraction to the real story. Demented Criminal Infantile for their acronym. /ProcSet 6 0 R stream I say so here and now. Indeed. "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?' 'GE%ueEy Z"*L>O ;FVIL$E ^tjx%|{/&,8px%q|A`;%)e9SO8w% WebThe graph below represents the number of search warrants DCI Special Agents participated in from 2008 through 2011. 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. Youve already gotten more of my time than I usually give you, sock puppet. I know thats not the law, but frankly, these kinds of situations make me so angry . %PDF-1.5 This is so wrong and. Thats hard to find in SD. Popular Locations. box 160 Pierre, SD 57501 Telephone: 605-224-8803 Attorneys for Defendant and Appellee _____________________ Then those comments would be taken out of context and used against them. But in this lawsuit it says 'Marty Jackley, in his official capacity as Attorney General for the State of South Dakota and Marty Jackley personally.' 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. It appears the DCI & AG offices are incapable of investigating themselves, much less being trusted to know what right looks like, then do it. Why South Dakotans stand for it remains a mystery. Salary Company Job Openings. View Background Report Sponsored Brett D Spencer 's Record in 2020 Name Brett D Spencer Location South Dakota Phone Ad View phone number Payroll Year 2020 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. WebThe South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is accepting applications for DCI Special Agent I or II at this time. We would have been better off reporting these crimes to the Girl Scouts. JOB DETAILS. The Court must still decide front pay, which is wage loss post-trial, and attorneys fees. I asked my friends if what they thought about the other table. Erickson said, Thats just the way I am, but Kaiser said that was not acceptable. Your email address will not be published. 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. St~|AJtSZ]l!YBY?$@,!U82XV{/p*6)aPV%l[#gX[G|H5>>&AIX%q.&F%fF7vM4}"~W2(/:>)cS| a. Kaiser told the texter all negotiations would continue to go through her Minneapolis-based attorney. 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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The circuit court approved the Males write the laws in every state and DC. It caught my ear because it was so unusual to me. A friendly little safety reminder-dont play around pitchforks and torches. Thats too bad for SD and a real reason people leave. 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. The total warrants served in 2011 were 401. Then comes Brown County Deputy Ross Erickson: In or about August 2011, Brown County Deputy Ross Erickson was assigned to the Drug Task Force. Anyone know if Marty has to recuse himself from this case before a federal judge? As you look through the sections that describe the duties of the Division of Criminal Investigation, you will notice /Height 2192 I have seen situations were women have threaten sexual harassment, to get what what they want. Black complained to DCI supervisors that Kaiser created a hostile work environment. Maybe its the places I go or the people I know. For 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 said she was reluctant about telling her superiors and eventually was forced out of her post as retaliation for reporting it. UM has more students, faculty and staff than the population of Rapid City. We believe the interrogations were live streamed to Pierre with someone feeding Black intimidating, confusing and attacking questions to ask the Mette children. I hope my experience can give strength to other victims of sexual harassment. In a court of law under one party rule,the truth is whatever the one party decides it is. Sexual Harassment - Hostile Work Environment, Failure to Cancel Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI), Force Placed Insurance - Flood & Homeowners, Predatory Lending/Unfair Mortgage Servicing, Former South Dakota DCI Agent Represented by Nichols Kaster receives $1.2 Million Jury Verdict after Suffering Retaliation and Discrimination, Loans, Financing, and Borrowers' Rights Overview, Civil Rights and Impact Litigation Overview, Plaintiffs Public Housing Claims Move Forward in Minneapolis, Inside Sales Representative Brings Overtime Case Against Brightwheel, Nichols Kaster, PLLP Awarded First Tier Ranking on The 2023 Best Law Firms List. Your email address will not be published. You cite a few anecdotes, and Im sure instances happen. x[ms6|nb 2I MT?xn^PX`W,W~sW=yUWYv]sl~n/.7gW\=FI,R'Q0g1?YyY0!UG%STK,g|QMiDY@1|0zycW~[+3_YxN1piT67$bZZ ? <>>> I looked around to see if anyone was noticing. No. 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. 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. Anyone believing Marty and the DCI want federal probes of their white boys club is delusional. 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. stream We will not be silenced. MC, the deck continues to be stacked in favor of the rapist/molester/harasser. The next day is when things began to go awry. I have personally met with supervisor Jason Even who demonstrated that he was a complete idiot who didnt know the first thing about law enforcement or criminal investigations. A couple years ago I was visiting friends in RC and overheard a group at the next table making fun of the women there. q /Length 47 Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. %PDF-1.7 %PDF-1.5 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. She was paid on Wednesday after several months of negotiations. 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. 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 '!kcE!>{=C9Cv G4]mY01I&Em@6cR1d>!B u 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. 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. Both grievances were denied. Deb G, I could never see this good olboy mentality happening in MN. The deck is so stacked against the accuser. 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.. /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB Recently, Special Agent Krierwho is assigned to the DCIs Electronic Crimes Unit and Internet Crimes Kaiser told Erickson to stop, but his comments persisted. Required fields are marked *. She has been through hell and back and she deserves all of our support as she goes forward. Women were simply good, important, worthwhile people who were smart and valuable. With no other option, Kaiser resigned from DCI on May 8, 2012. Following trial, Kaiser commented: "I would like to thank the jury for their time and for giving me justice. Zylstra resigned from DCI effective May 18, 2012. 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. endobj endobj Washington, DC; Chicago, IL; New York, NY; San Francisco, CA; Dallas, TX; Search. Let the defendants defend themselves in a court of law. Clearly you must understand the difference between a court of law and the court of public opinion. WebTimothy R. Whalen, Esq. For a moment,Zylstra thought shed found a supportive ear: Black was supportive offered to speak to Erickson for Plaintiff. /Type /XObject Plaintiff was reassigned to the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in Pierre, South Dakota, over 150 miles from Aberdeen, effective January 3, 2012. 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. Jackley said he played no part in Kaiser's settlement, but she said, she's not sure what to believe. WebSTATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA CLASS SPECIFICATION Class Title: DCI Special Agent Supervisor Class Code: 688805 Pay Grade: L7 _____ A. WebSTATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA CLASS SPECIFICATION Class Title: DCI Special Agent I Class Code: 688801 Pay Grade: L4 _____ A. endobj Thanks. DCI Special Agent I or II. 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.