I sure wish this would lead to change in what KIRO and the other "news" stations do but it won't. Hell, Halsne will probably get a nice bonus this month.

KIRO is hardly liberal. Owned by Cox - very conservative, and prior to that, owned by the Mormon Church.

I wonder if any news organizations passed over doing the story. Was KIRO their first choice, did they have to get a second opinion?

King 5 supposedly turned it down.

@5, Ted Van Dyk is on the news council that Eli's reporting on here, and he did a piece for Crosscut yesterday in which he said the complaining family member shopped the story to KING-TV news first, which passed because they didn't find it credible. Here's Van Dyk's story: http://crosscut.com/2012/06/18/media/109…

We watched the video and there was testimony that KING 5 turned the family down and passed on the "story"

KIRO should be ashamed.

The ONLY thing that will get an apology is a boycott.

I see a future for this hack KIRO Reporter on Cable News. I wonder if he's sent his resume to Mr. Murdoch?

Say uh, "Leschied",

I was at the hearing. The custodians race was brought up in testimony (watch the video) by a parent complimenmting Mr. Harris for being a role model in the school.

That's not Eli mentioning, that's Eli reporting a story.

I think what you are calling "love" is merely self service on your part.

Local 609 put the following message out this morning to all 609 members:

"With the end of the school year there is a natural flurry of events that overtake us all. However, I wanted to stop for a moment and point out what a Profile in Courage our custodian is at Leschi Elementary.

It has become fashionable in our political culture to speak out against “government” these days. Whether it is in Wisconsin, Indiana or on the national political scene, public service has become a bad word. To hear politicians talk about it, “government” and the work it entails has been portrayed as some sort of sea of faceless bureaucrats sitting at desks moving paper around at huge salaries or wasting taxes going on junkets around the world. Teachers, police, firefighters and all public employees have gone from hero’s to bums in the last few years. Politicians feel they can “score a few points” by voting to cast thousands out of work in order to further the notion.

The media has played right into the hands of this portrayal (why wouldn’t they as the media, like KIRO, are owned by the wealthy hoping to evade taxes and put their burden on the rest of us) and continues to do so daily.

However, here in Seattle, we have stood up and we can be very proud yet determined to continue to point out that the real work of government goes on daily in places like Seattle and at schools like Leschi. School goes on, kids attend class and the school runs thanks to the contributions of our members and other public employees.

As a custodian myself, it has been truly inspiring to watch the community and staff at Leschi (and in the Seattle community as a whole) rally in support of Local 609 member Chester Harris. The quiet class he has demonstrated while those of us around him have undertaken to “right” the wrongs done to him in the last few months really lifts the spirit.

This morning, the full video of last Saturday’s WNC hearing has been posted by TVW. You can watch it here:

http://tvw.org/index.php?option=com_tvwp…

It will also be on our website (www.iuoelocal609.org) along with a summary re-cap of area coverage.

On behalf of all of 609, we say; thank you Chet, for setting an example all of us can be proud of and work towards in our daily performance of our jobs.

Local 609"

It's unfair of Crosscut's Ted Van Dyk to suggest that Halsne be demoted to custodian. Chester Harris apparently does his job well and with honor; I don't think Halsne is up to the job.

Halsne shouldn't even have a job after this fiasco in Oklahoma City.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/93953866/Oops-…

@16: Is the race of the complaining family relevant?

Seems to me KIRO has had libel issues in the past more than the other outlets. I hope Mr. Harris is successful if he pursues legal action.

Great, Van Dyke, with your snide remark to demean Chester Harris and his profession even more. Talk about an elitist attitude!