Cemetery urination cost man his TV job
The photographer for KGAN-TV in Cedar Rapids says that
he feared missing a soldier's funeral procession.
A photographer for a Cedar Rapids television station
has been fired for urinating in a cemetery while covering the funeral
of an Iowa soldier killed in Iraq.
Gerry Edwards of Center Point was dismissed in December
by KGAN-TV, where he was a photographer for 24 years. In November, Edwards
was at a cemetery to cover the funeral procession for Sgt. James Musack,
23, of Riverside.
While
waiting for the procession to arrive, Edwards urinated on the ground
near a cemetery monument. A journalist from a Kalona newspaper was nearby
and photographed the incident.
The editor sent the photo by e-mail to KGAN managers with
a note that said, "Urinating behind a statue of Mary in a Catholic cemetery
within clear view of a public road, not to mention the numerous members
of the Army who were on hand for the funeral, is inexcusable."
Within hours, KGAN officials escorted Edwards out of their
building and gave him the choice of either resigning or being fired.
When Edwards refused to resign, he was fired.
At a recent hearing on Edwards' request for unemployment
benefits, he testified that he was unable to leave the cemetery to urinate
for fear of missing the funeral procession.
"I feel like I did nothing wrong except take care of business,"
Edwards said. "If I went in my pants, that would be really unprofessional.
If anybody saw me, you know, walking around — it would have froze. So
I'd have icy urine on my pants."
He blamed KGAN managers for insisting that he get a shot
of the funeral procession. "I was leaned on to get that shot," Edwards
testified. "That was the most important thing — to get that shot."
KGAN Station Manager Mike Sullivan declined to comment
on the case, saying it was a personnel matter. The administrative law
judge who heard Edwards' appeal for unemployment benefits denied the
request, saying the act of urinating at the cemetery was disrespectful,
unprofessional and offensive.
This was not the first time Edwards had gotten in trouble
with station officials for his behavior in a cemetery. State unemployment
records indicate that last Memorial Day he was at a cemetery shooting
video of a memorial service. At one point, he was standing outside a
KGAN van, talking loudly on his cell phone. When people attending the
service asked him to keep his voice down, he allegedly responded with
an offensive comment and said, "I've got a ... job to do here, man.
I've been here five hours already."
KGAN received 17 complaints about Edwards' conduct that
day. One caller reported seeing Edwards "get in the faces of people"
who had asked him to quiet down.
By
CLARK KAUFFMAN
http://www.desmoinesregister.com
See
the "Top Ten Urinals in the World"
HOME
HOME
Headlines
TV
Helicopter Pilot Saves Stranded Deer
*Watch
video
Pols
Call For Warning Labels on Analog-Only TV Sets
No
charges in arrest of 'Car Czar' reporter
Former
Channel 7 analyst arrested on child sex charges
Philly
station launches mostly unscripted newscast
Boston
TV's Ansin defends mass firings
Charity's
director sues WFLA-TV reporter
Boston
radio giant fires entire news team
Roanoke
TV station fires meteorologist over MySpace photo
'Borat' duped TV producer
Former TV Reporter Indicted For Cruise Ship Conduct With Boys
KTMD
losing most of news staff
Broadcast
Workers Oppose Dereg
TV
Takes a Page Out of Newspaper Hardships
Students
make 'Point' on TV news
Fox
journalists released in Gaza Strip, ending nearly two week hostage ordeal
Cincy
TV stations settle sideline-camera flap
Death
stuns, angers reporter's family
Bossier
City businessman accused of attacking TV crew
Wife
of kidnapped Fox cameraman makes tearful plea for release
Ex-news
anchor arrest
Popular Weatherman
Passes
Former
TV personality charged with soliciting a child
Voice
of the Razorbacks Dies in Car Accident
Sentence
in crash that kills photog
Cameraman
tossed from tour
TV
station editor beaten up over report about broken privatisation promises
Chopper
4 crashes during search
Once again a near death incident. Glad everyone's safe...but
here's another reason why I've given up helicopters for good.
Cameraman
Claims He Slept With Princess Diana
Now that's what I'm talkin' about. You go get 'em
cameraman!
Broadcasters'
audience size sets new low
The least-watched week in history. Going downnnnn....
Bank
robbery foiled by TV reporter
Fox,
AP Settle Photog Flap
"Miraculous
Recovery" for CBS' Dozier
Holdin'
Globes
New
pandemic fear as cameraman falls ill in bird flu village
Reporter
killed in head-on collision
NBCU
Puts Four Stations Up for Sale
PGA
Announces New Agreements With CBS, NBC
Fire
kills anchorman
Former
TV reporter charged with shoplifting
Anchorwoman
Accepts Proposal on Air
Ex-TV
reporter Barth joins race for seat in Congress
ABC
Cameraman shot dead in Baghdad
Shootout
video cameraman drops out of sight
Spitting
at TV cameraman earns suspension
Pittsburgh
TV Reporter Cited For Trespassing
TV photogs attacked outside court
Break-in
delays W. Va. newscast debut
Viacom lays off 11 at KOVR, KMAX
Colo.
station suspends local news
NFL
won't act on Benson altercation with TV crew
Cameras
Captured a Disaster but Now Focus on Suffering
Cameraman Assaulted
