Eric Deters Muzzled Again

Once again, radio "entertainer" and ambulance chaser Eric Deters has been fined. This time the fine was 30k. Here is the story from the Enquirer:

Lawyer and radio personality Eric Deters has been fined nearly $30,000 for filing a lawsuit against the Kenton County jail that was not "well grounded in fact" or "warranted by existing law."

Hmmm...sounds an awful lot like the Meranda v. Gusweiler case, but I digress.

Kenton Circuit Judge Patricia Summe wrote in her order dated Nov. 22 that Deters "did not conduct a reasonable investigation or deliberately chose to ignore facts" when filing that suit that resulted in "more than two years of futile litigation."

This is the largest of at least six fines - totaling about $81,800 - levied against Deters during 25 years of practicing law in Kentucky and Ohio.

Deters is ordered to pay the latest fine by Dec. 18. It will be used to cover taxpayers' money fiscal court used to defend the jail. The suit claimed former county inmate James Chandler's appendicitis got worse because he was denied medical care in November 2006 while he was locked up at the facility.

The sanctioning of Deters was delayed as he fought for a year to have Summe disqualified from the jail case. The Kentucky Supreme Court refused to remove her in August.

Deters said he will appeal Summe's fine.

"This is outrageous," Deters said. "The appeal of this is going to take years, and I'm going to appeal it all the way to the end."

Eric Deters is an attention whore. He is a petulant brat who is so proud of his own accomplishments and intelligence he has to rattle off inane facts every segment of his radio show. He has no ethics, and he is the epitome of an unethical ambulance chasing lawyer:

Grant Circuit Judge Stephen Bates fined Deters $1,300 in October 2007 for subpoenaing Kenton County Coroner Dr. David Suetholz. Bates called the subpoena "an abuse of the legal process." Deters subpoenaed Suetholz for an autopsy report. The report was actually held by the Boone County Coroner's Office.

• Campbell Circuit Judge Fred Stine fined Deters about $22,000 in April 2006 for filing a frivolous suit in Campbell County. Stine wrote in an order that Deters' "pleadings were interposed only for the purposes of harassing the defendants and to cause unnecessary delay." It involved a legal dispute over alleged faulty home repairs.

• A Clermont County Court of Common Pleas fined Deters $13,000 in 2002. Deters brought a lawsuit against a home builder on behalf of 106 plaintiffs who had not purchased a home from the builder nor otherwise had any contract with it.

Do any of these instances sound like the legal eagle guardian of truth that the Chihuahua Deters makes himself out to be? I don't think so. Maybe he should give up the law practice and just concentrate on his entertainment venues, or harrassing football teams that play against his kids.

Bullying or Aggressive Coaching? Hearing May Decide....

In Lebanon, there are complaints being filed against a former Coach of the Year. It has to do with what complainants are calling abusive behavior and bullying. Here is the story from the Cincinnati Enquirer:

Tim Mersch, former Greater Western Ohio Conference Coach of the Year, is the target of a series of accusations.

Five girls tearfully complained last week during a meeting of the Lebanon Board of Education that Mersch is verbally and emotionally abusive and uses intimidation to pit players against one another, even allowing bullying among teammates.

They alleged incidents of name-calling, confrontational tactics, belittling some girls' physiques and fostering a team environment where some girls bully others.

So, has the school done anything about this, before the court hearings are due to take place?

Superintendent Mark North said he became aware of the complaints during the season and that the district's two investigations - one making use of the district's attorney - found the complaints lacked merit. Moreover, North says he intends to rehire Mersch - a retired teacher and veteran girls volleyball coach - for next fall's season.

Shortly after the girls complained publicly Monday night, the mother of one player was granted a Dec. 3 hearing before a magistrate in Warren County Common Pleas Court as she seeks a stalking protection order against the coach.

Maureen Painter alleged that during a September evening visit by Mersch at her home he verbally confronted both her and her daughter.

Painter also made allegations that during school Monday, Mersch - who is only contracted part time to coach - came to Lebanon High School and sought out her daughter who was working at the school office and glared at her more than a minute in response to complaints about him.

Mersch declined comment about the accusations. He has until Nov. 30 to file objections to the hearing.

Painter also filed a complaint Thursday with Lebanon police, but the officer who took the complaint was unavailable Friday to comment on whether police are investigating.

"He is verbally and emotionally abusive," Painter said. "He plays mind games and manipulates these girls. He is a nasty, vindictive man. This has been going on for years and I don't want these girls or any future girls to suffer from this."

Another parent, Chris Young, echoed Painter's claims, accusing Mersch of being psychologically and emotionally abusive to these kids.

So, the school district investigated and found so much evidence that they decided to rehire the guy. So, the school district A)is hiding something to protect a coach, B)didn't do due dilligence, or C)did an investigation and the charges are groundless. I don't know what is the truth here.

Is this aggressive coaching ala Bob Huggins or Bobby Knight, or is this abuse? Much of what is today called abusive was acceptable just a decade ago. What constitutes mind games and what constitutes honest critique? It seems now that the magistrate in Warren County will have to decide.

Northern Kentucky University's First President Passes Away

This may not seem like big news to some, but it is to Matt and me. Without Frank Steely's leadership, NKU may never have succeeded and he and I may never have ended up there. Frank Steely, though I never had him in class, was a mentor to me. I spoke with him several times during my time at NKU, and as a member of Phi Alpha Theta, the school's history honor society. Steely was an amazing man who will be missed but whose legacy will last forever. From the Cincinnati Enquirer:

Frank Steely, the founding president of Northern Kentucky University, died Monday morning at Highland Spring in Fort Thomas of natural causes. He was 85.

Mr. Steely served as NKU’s president from December 1969 to September 1975 and taught history until 2001.

“He always said he never stepped in a classroom when he wasn’t glad to be there,” said his wife, Martha Pelfrey of Cold Spring.

He started as president when NKU was founded as Northern Kentucky State College and completed his tenure when the university featured 6,000 students, 150 professors and six buildings on the Highland Heights campus. It now has nearly 16,000 students.

In a statement, NKU President Jim Votruba called Mr. Steely “the human cornerstone of this university.”

“Frank Steely was given the Herculean task of building a university from the ground up – and he succeeded,” Votruba said in a statement.

A native of a small town in western Kentucky near Murray, Mr. Steely earned degrees from the University of South Carolina, the University of Kentucky and Rochester University.

He was dean of Clinch Valley College in Virginia when he was named president of Northern Kentucky State College in 1969. The school changed its name to Northern Kentucky University in 1976.

In the first year, classes at the college were located in houses and barns and the music practice room was held in a renovated dog kennel.

“We had no staff, no students, no budget and no buildings,” recalled Ken Lucas, the former congressman and a founding member of NKU’s Board of Regents. “We literally started from scratch.”

Milestones during Mr. Steely’s tenure included the merger with Salmon P. Chase College of Law in 1972, the move to the Highland Heights campus, and the first conditional accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Mr. Steely is survived by Pelfrey; his first wife, Isoetta Steely of Fort Thomas; son, William Steely of Clarksville, Tenn.; daughter, Lisa Steely of Jacksonville, Fla.; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday (12/2) at First Baptist Church, 4410 Alexandria Pike in Cold Spring, with services to follow.

Burial will be at 2 p.m. Friday (12/3) at Hazel Cemetery in Hazel, Ky.

Memorial gifts may be directed to the Northern Kentucky University Foundation, Suite 221, Lucas Administrative Center, Highland Heights, KY 41099.

Meranda v. Gusweiler: Bus to run over Prosecutor Little?

From the Brown County Press, as covered by editor Wayne Gates, who has been on top of this story from the initial "I don't give a F" to the current situation:

Brown County Prosecutor Jessica Little says she's being asked by citizens why she's not prosecuting Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Gusweiler.

Could these people be part of the Meranda crew that worked so hard to spread disinformation before endorsements a couple years ago about Gail DeClaire? Could these folks be people who are looking to get the Prosecutor to fall in line? Bottom line, Tina Meranda has screwed three offices in Brown County--Hers, Judge Gusweiler, and Prosecutor Little. All three are now tainted by this shameful display.

Look, I don't like Gusweiler's ALLEGED language, and think he should have kept his cool. I also think this whole thing could have been done better on both people's parts.

Also, I have not gotten a copy of the lawsuit yet as Eric Deters has NOT lived up to his promise of putting it on his website, though Editor Gates did say that the lawsuit is in the clerk of courts office as of the last Friday in March. I will have to see about getting a copy and checking out the "allegations."

Bottom line: Jessica Little knows the law. I will let Wayne's reporting of Prosecutor Little speak for itself:

Little said she's not filing charges because she does not believe Gusweiler is guilty of a criminal offense.

Concerning the case, Little said "I'm not on anyone's side here. I'm on the side of the law."

Meranda is alleging in her suit that Gusweiler intimidated her into giving up the keys.

Ohio Revised Code prohibits public officials from using the power of their office to intimidate others...but Little said that, in her opinion, the Judge did not break the law.

According to the complaint filed by Meranda, Gusweiler violated Ohio revised Code 2921.03, which covers criminal intimidation.

The complaint continues by claiming that Gusweiler is "civilly liable" to Meranda.

Little was a witness to the confrontation between Meranda and Gusweiler.

Little confirms that Gusweiler threatened Meranda with arrest, but said he did so in a lawful way.

"Ohio Revised Code gives a Judge power to punish someone in their presence", Little said.

In fact, Ohio Revised Code 2705.01 says "A court, or judge at chambers, may summarily punish a person guilty of misbehavior in the presence of or so near the court or judge as to obstruct the administration of justice."

The word "summarily" is important, because it is defined as "immediately" or "without notice".

According to Meranda's complaint, Gusweiler had given Meranda a court order demanding the keys and threatened her with arrest if she did not produce them.

If she had not done so, the legal argument could be made that she was not complying with the Judge's court order and was therefore 'obstructing the administration of justice" and could be found in contempt of court.

Additionally, Ohio Revised Code 2705.02 says that a person guilty of "disobedience of, or resistance to a lawful order of a court or officer" is guilty of contempt.

Once given the court order, a legal avenue appealing the court order to the Ohio 12th Circuit Court of Appeals was open to Meranda.

Concerning the lawsuit, Little said she has not been asked to assist Gusweiler to find an attorney as of yet.

As a defendant, Gusweiler is eligible to have an attorney paid for at county expense.

Now, we may not like the language used by Gusweiler, but it seems to me the law was followed in the particular instance that was first reported by the Press in this matter. I will have to look at the other alleged violations once I get my hands on the lawsuit and read it fully.

But, Tina Meranda appears bent on costing Gusweiler, the county, and the people of Brown County money because she didn't like what Gusweiler said or did. It appears that her ego is once again trampling on others, and that the bus is trying to mow down Gusweiler and now possibly Little. I wonder what the Republican party apparatus thinks of this whole mess? I know what I think.

So, the Clerk of Courts office, the Judge's office, and maybe even the Prosecutor's office will lose work hours because of this suit, and all that will be done will be to help someone's ego and pocketbook at the expense of the taxpayers. Way to think about the people!

4/5/2010 7pm Update

Here is a link from the News Democrat that has the pdf of the lawsuit.

My take continues to be that this is about pride, money, and hurt feelings and political and monetary opportunism. Is Gusweiler squeaky lily white clean in this? Nope. However, does it rise to this level of seriousness, a breach in the very division of labor and powers by law? Not so much. And I agree with other commenters. Stop attempting to smear Jessica Little as ignorant or not doing her job. Unlike her predecessor, she works a bunch of hours and tries to get things moving through the courts when there is cause.

Brown County: Money and Vengeance Edition

OK, previously on WMD....We disclosed the incident involving Judge Scott Gusweiler and Clerk of Courts Tina Meranda. Then, we discussed how Tina Meranda decided to get bomb throwing and self proclaimed "proud Ambulance chaser" (see last night's 700wlw broadcast between 11pm and midnight) Eric Deters to bring further shame and reproach on Brown County, and generally cost the county more money. Well, we now have some updates.

Mark goes on the Air with Bulldog, Bulldog obfuscates

So, I'm driving home last night and I hear Deters on the air. I had been told he was going to release info on this case on his website. Hadn't seen anything, so I figured I would call. As I am on hold, Deters is engaging in his usual schizophrenic diatribes, on the one hand claiming to be a "proud ambulance chaser" but then railing against Obamacare and the high costs of providing health care to his employees in his "businesses." Sound a bit hypocritical? Yep. Anyway, I get on the air and I ask the Bulldog what this is really all about: is it an ethics thing, money thing, what is it since it sounds like it is going to be in civil court? Well, the Bulldog lashes out and says he won't discuss the case until he releases his lawsuit on Monday on his website, and that he doesn't leak info on cases, but that the lawsuit would "speak for itself." Hmmm...doesn't leak anything about cases before filing suit, eh? Well then, what about this from the Brown County Press:

Deters Gives Advanced Copy of Lawsuit to Brown County Press to Taint Jury Pool

(headline is mine)

Allegations of "abusive, overbearing and inappropriate behavior" are included in an upcoming lawsuit against Brown County Common Pleas Judge Scott Gusweiler.

Brown County Clerk of Courts Tina Meranda is suing Gusweiler in Brown County for "a pattern and practice" of such behavior "outside the scope of his duties" as Judge.

Meranda's attorney, Eric Deters, released a preliminary copy of the pending suit to the Brown County Press. It had not been filed with the court at press time.

The complaint is alleging that Judge Gusweiler violated Ohio Revised Code 2921.03 which covers criminal intimidation.

OK, now previously, in the comments for the last update, someone recited the chapter and verse of what this violation entails per the Ohio revised code. Go check it out in the comments for the last update.

But, do I not see a strategy developing by the pathological schitzoid Deters? Not willing to debate or face questions regarding the suit, he does release a "preliminary copy" to the local press of the county in question...why? We will get back to this later.

However, regarding the ORC violation and criminal actions, I don't have a law degree. I wasn't there. So, I will defer to Brown County Prosecutor Jessica Little, cited in the article from the Press:

Brown County Prosecuting Attorney said in her opinion, Gusweiler did not violate that statute.

"I do not intend to pursue any criminal proceeding in any manner whatsoever" Little said.
Little added that only the Prosecuting Attorney can bring a criminal complaint in the county, but that Meranda can pursue a civil complaint against Gusweiler if she wishes.

So, this answers the one question. This is not about the law...This is about money and vengeance. Before ol' Chuckles comes over and begins to besmirch Prosecutor Little, let me say that while I don't know her personally I have discussed her legal acumen with Paul Hall, Danny Bubp and others and they all say she is very competent and up to the job and has the highest degree of integriy. Chuckles will come here trying to cry conspiracy, but that is all he and the 5-8 people who show up for Democrat central committee meetings ever do nowadays. Now, in the most recent update, a commenter said that the origins of the original incident involving changing of the locks in the Clerk's office had to do with:

The day in question (the day that the locks were changed), Court was in session at 8:00a.m. However, the Clerk's office was on a two-hour snow delay (on the tax payers dollar). This made it necessary for someone from the court's office to gain access to the Clerk's office to get the files needed so that court sessions could proceed that morning.

Now, did this make Meranda lose face? I don't know. But, needless to say, the question of what happened at this time leaves one to question. I have no personal knowledge of current wrongdoing, but let us not forget that Ms. Meranda's office was cited by outgoing Auditor of State Mary Taylor in an audit and found to have engaged in some wrongdoing. Ms. Meranda's response was to fire one employee, blame all her predecessors, and then act like she was the lone crier of foul in the wilderness. Throwing people under the bus for embarrassing her appears to be standard operating procedure. Wasn't aware Tina was from Chicago.

OK, so let's get back to the complaint filed by Tina and the Bullhorn, Eric Deters:

One entry in the complaint reads; "Six months after becoming Judge, Defendant (Gusweiler) instructed Plaintiff's (Meranda) staff not to accept any filings from his predecessor, because the Defendant stated 'The sons-of-b****** have had plenty of time to learn who is the Judge around here."

There are a total of 13 factual allegations in the complaint.

OK, these are "factual" complaints. Where are the dates? Where are the specifics? All I am hearing so far is hearsay and what seems like an effort to paint Gusweiler as some type of loose cursing cannon. While the language may be regrettable, a)we don't know for a fact this language was used, and b)some people use more colorful metaphors.

The complaint at the heart of the dispute regards a set of keys to the Clerk of Courts office that Gusweiler issued a court order to Meranda to provide.

The complaint alleges that Gusweiler told Meranda he "had a deputy sheriff waiting to take her to jail for contempt of court" if she didn't provide them to him.

It continues, saying that Brown County Prosecuting Attorney Jessica Little was present and told Gusweiler not to have Meranda arrested without due process.

The complaint alleges that Gusweiler responded "I don't need your f****** advice" and continued that "fearing Defendant and his demeanor, Plaintiff gave Defendant the keys he demanded."

Woah, wait a minute here! We have a shifting story now....Back in the first story covering this issue, Ms. Meranda was quoted like this:

Meranda said Gusweiler then told the two women "She will give me the keys or she'll be arrested."

Little responded "Judge I represent both of you, but I advise you not to arrest her without due process."

Meranda said the judge responded "I don't give a f*** about your advice."
At that point, Meranda turned over the keys.

Which is it? More inconsistencies appear as one looks over the retellings vs. the latest. More and more, this appears to be revenge driven and money driven. Maybe Ms. Meranda needs some help with the medical bills. Maybe the winery isn't doing well. I don't know, but I don't see this as "crusading clerk of courts standing up for the rule of law" especially given Meranda's history of less than above board meandering herself.

Back to the latest from the press:

The lawsuit says that because of those actions, Gusweiler is guilty of "attempting to influence, intimidate or hinder a public servant (Meranda) in the discharge of the person's duty".

Meranda is asking the court to order Gusweiler not to interfere with her duties and to order him to stop his "abusive, overbearing and inappropriate" behavior, saying such behavior is "outside the scope" of his duties as Judge.

The complaint concludes by asking for a jury trial and for compensatory and punitive damages against Judge Gusweiler.

Should the case go to trial, the Ohio Supreme Court will assign a visiting judge to hear the case.

Once the complaint is filed with the court, Gusweiler will be provided an attorney at county expense.

His attorney would then respond to the complaint.

So, because of some choice words, some crazy circumstances, hurt pride and who knows what else, this is going to cost the county tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees, as well as lost hours of work by both of these officials and possibly the prosecutor, who may be a material witness. Look, I am disappointed in the language used by Gusweiler and by the hiring of Deters to drag this county through the mud. If there is wrongdoing, there should be punishment for it. However, the true sadness is that this could have all been handled better with some freaking maturity on both sides.

However, to paint Meranda as some crusader against overbearing judges misses some of the details. She is asking for compensatory and PUNITIVE damages. She is making the county incur thousands in legal costs. Also, her attorney is playing dirty pool by releasing this tripe to the local media to taint the jury pool (note how she requests a jury trial, but yet how can people not be biased now that they have seen the alleged language used by Gusweiler and the slanted story of Ms. Meranda?). She will also be costing the state money in terms of sending in a visiting judge.

Again, the questions remain: where did this all start? How could it have been avoided? What specifically is defined as criminal? The only one looking like having common sense in this matter is Prosecutor Little. However, Eric Deters is not the crusading attorney. He is using this to further his career and also to taint the public opinion against Gusweiler.

We will stay on these developments here at WMD. Deters will supposedly be releasing the full text of the lawsuit Monday. Maybe at that time we will get more perspective on the situation, and who knows, maybe thoughts will change. But, at this point, this appears to be a scorched earth vendetta by a public official who has done similar things in the past, and who doesn't care what it may cost the county or state in terms of reputation as well as actual dollars.

Interesting Thoughts on John Kasich and Governor's Race...

From a source I trust:

Also, John Kasichhas all but officially announced that he is running for Governor. People may want to take note that whenever I mention John Kasich in my newsletters, I get very strong negative responses from the people that care most about gun rights. Mr. Kasich has a lot of work to do to repair that chasm. If he fails to do so, and he wins the Primary Election, the gun groups have made it very clear to me that they will be supporting Ted Strictland for re-election. That would be very disheartening to lose such an important and powerful (traditionally) Republican constituency. That being said, I like John Kasich. He has a lot of very good ideas for Ohio. I am especially excited about him wanting to abolish the Ohio income tax. That is my primary economic issue for Ohio.
Note to Mr. Kasich: As a freedom loving American, I was very disappointed by your vote in favor of the failed Clinton gun ban in 1994. I, and many others, are passionate about protecting the 2nd Amendment. Please tell me that you were caught up in the theater of the moment and made a mistake. Additionally, I want to know that you would take back your vote if you could. I will accept your apology (if offered) and tell you that all is forgiven. Please help me to help you win the gun vote.

This source is a real mover and shaker in the Ohio Republican Party and is well connected. This does not bode well for Mr. Kasich or the ORP if he is nominated. Mr. Kasich had best skip some of the party events in favor of attending a few gun shows and perhaps some Firearms Association meetings. This type of thing could allow a Coughlin to come in under the radar; or even worse, it could be an easy reelection bid for T-Shirt Ted, he of the pimp my vote for stimulus money that never comes.

Some other interesting things....

Chief Justice Thomas Moyer will be retiring. Former Attorney General, Jim Petro, will run for that seat. Jim was a great AG. He is very smart and would be a great Chief Justice. Additionally, Justice Maureen O'Conner wants to run for Chief Justice. She has also served Ohio well. It is important to note that Justice O'Connor would have to resign and Ted Strictland would appoint a Democrat.

These are some interesting observations by my source as well. I am not sure if Petro would be a good Chief Justice. He has seemed a little bit too much of a squish for me. However, I will look into some of his work as AG, where many people did laud him for his efforts. I think Justice O'Connor would be a fantastic CJ, but I don't want Teddy Boy touching the Supreme Court with his disgustingly diseased hands.


One final note, regarding Mary Taylor. My source seems to think that all the talk of her running for Guv or Senator next time is just that....talk:

Mary Taylor will run for re-election. It is very important that we support her and retain this Apportionment Board seat. Mary is a great lady and has been doing a fabulous job for Ohio.

This is great news.....Mary Taylor has done a fabulous job as auditor, and her political future is bright. However, right now, the state needs her where she is, but will be looking forward to what she has to offer in the future.

Bugles Across America - Ohio Chapter - Cincinnati Region

From time to time, I've mentioned that I have performed at military funerals. What I probably haven't mentioned is that I am the state director for an organization called Bugles Across America whose purpose is to provide live buglers for such services. All of that is background for providing this link to a Community Press story on my right hand guy here in Cincinnati. It is a really good story and I am really proud of our guys in Cincinnati and across the state. Be sure to check it out.

How Bad Did John Sidney McCain Step In It?

Answer: Ask Nasty, Brutish and Short... NBS has posts here, here, here and here that clearly represents the case against John Sidney McCain and raises the possiblity that Mike DeWine is still an idiot all at the same time.

That DeWine bit might need a little clarification, so I give you Mr. NBS:

DeWine says to the Enquirer:

"I can't believe in the end that voters are going to make a decision in November based on what John [Sidney] McCain said about Bill Cunningham in February," DeWine said.

How quaint. He thinks the latest uproar with the base is about McCain repudiating Willie. It's not. It's not that at all. It's that this is YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE of McCain throwing a conservative under the bus. And when you throw enough people under the bus, you will wake up one day and find that there is no one left to speak for you. Will that be in November? We'll see.

Why am I spending time on this? The folks that Mark and I spent time with last night asked about this and I think our discussion wound up deadlocked...mainly because I forgot about NBS's coverage. But I should have remembered the fact that this situation outraged WMD contributer Sean so much, he jumped right in and wrote about it here. I think Sean has written maybe three pieces for us all year...but THIS is one of them.

Why does this matter? NBS is right...this isn't about Willie. It is about US. John Sidney McCain does not give a D@#n about conservatives in general and conservatives from southwestern Ohio in particular. His actions not only with Willie demonstrate that, but his interactions with 55KRC reflect that as well. (side note on that: I'm sure that WLW's "Bob" McConnell was thrilled to be at the center of that story...)

At any rate, John Sidney McCain made an unforced error...it will be intersting to see just how much it costs him.

UPDATE: "But, Matt, this is THE most important election of our lifetime!" Uh-huh...maybe John Sidney McCain ought to think about that for a minute too and stop ticking people off...

UPDATE 2: It is NOT my duty to vote for John Sidney McCain. It IS John Sidney McCain's duty to ASK ME for my vote...

Killing Pays for Brenda Nesselroad-Slaby--AND YOU HELP FOOT THE BILL

Well, at least she won't be putting any more children in jeopardy in the Glen Este Middle School. Of course, that doesn't help her dead daughter, Cecilia, whom Slaby left in a car to bake this past summer because she was too concerned about delivering donuts to her staff. Slaby has agreed to a separation agreement with the school. From the Cincinnati Post:

An assistant middle school principal who left her 2-year-old daughter in the back of a sweltering car, an accident that killed the child, reached a settlement to leave the school district where some parents had called for her ouster.

Brenda Nesselroad-Slaby, 40, has been on leave since Aug. 23, the day she left her sleeping daughter Cecilia strapped into a car seat for eight hours in the parking lot of Glen Este Middle School in Clermont County. Temperatures that day reached nearly 100 degrees.

Under terms of a separation agreement approved Monday by the West Clermont School Board, Nesselroad-Slaby will not return to the school, Superintendent Gary Brooks said.

The school board issued a statement saying the agreement will prevent further disruptions caused by the tragedy.

The child's death divided the school community. Some parents and residents supported Nesselroad-Slaby, while others were angered and demanded that she be fired.

Clermont County Prosecutor Don White decided not to charge the mother, saying it was an accident that didn't entail reckless conduct as defined by Ohio law.

Nesselroad-Slaby told police that she changed her usual routine that morning by picking up doughnuts for the school staff - a decision that distracted her - and she thought she had already dropped her daughter off with a baby sitter.

Even though this story says terms were not disclosed, my sources tell me Slaby gets a good hunk of her pay. She commits child endangerment, is not charged by an inept and incompetent and corrupt prosecutor (Don White), intimidated by Slaby's corrupt County Commissioner Defense counsel (GOP member Scott Croswell), and she gets a payday.

But wait, there is more. From the Community Journal:

Brenda Nesselroad-Slaby is "under the care of a physician" and will apply for disability retirement instead of returning to work as an assistant principal at Glen Este Middle School.

This is one aspect of the separation agreement signed by the West Clermont Local School District Board of Education and Nesselroad-Slaby Dec. 11.

Board members voted at their regular meeting Dec. 10 to end the contract with Nesselroad-Slaby. The agreement was signed Dec. 11.

Nesselroad-Slaby is to apply for disability retirement benefits with the State Teachers Retirement Disability System, according to a press release and the separation agreement. If her application is approved, Nesselroad-Slaby will tender an irrevocable letter of resignation as assistant principal effective the day of her disability approval.

In the event her application for disability retirement is denied or she exhausts her sick leave days prior to a disability retirement decision, she will give her resignation effective July 31, 2009. At that point, Nesselroad-Slaby would use vacation leave and personal leave days until they are exhausted, and then placed back on paid administrative leave through the expiration of her contract July 31, 2009.

Nesselroad-Slaby also will receive a letter of reference regarding her "successful years of service with the board," and the board will not place any restrictions on who Nesselroad-Slaby may contact for other personal references.

Superintendent Gary Brooks read a resolution to "amicably" conclude the board's employment relationship with Nesselroad-Slaby during the Dec. 10 board meeting.

The board voted 5-0 in favor of accepting the terms of the agreement.

YES, THAT IS RIGHT FOLKS! Some of your tax dollars is going to support Slaby! The murderer files for disability, and if she doesn't get it, she gets to leach off of the good people of the West Clermont School District. And, if she decides to get back into teaching or education, she gets a great reference from the board. So, once again, not only can you get away with killing your own daughter in Clermont County simply by saying you forgot about her, you can:
1. get disability for it.
2. leach off of taxpayers
3. get an attaboy for doing it.

Where is the justice for Cecilia? When will the Clermont County GOP tell Croswell and White to take a hike and get competent and noncorrupt folks in there?

Word to the wise to the families with children in school in Ohio. Be on the lookout for this woman. She baked her own kid, who knows what she will do to yours if she gets employment in your school district!

More Joe.....Joe Nuxhall Weekend Continues

I never, ever thought I would agree with Keith Olbermann on anything. After all, the man is an ignorant slimeball who never should have left sports journalism catchphrase calling on Sportscenter. However, he rated Joe one of the nicest people he had ever met.




I have been ticked at ESPN's lack of coverage. It just shows they have no class. They give a little blurb here and there about him being the youngest player ever, but they really don't go into his career or his impact. Well, fine. Screw them. They are the ones missing out. They don't have a clue anyway. Let them engage in self-examination and bloviating over Barry the ScumBag Bonds. Let them wallow in SteroidGate. Me, I want to remember the greats. True giants, not those who simply wore a uniform with it on the chest. ESPN is nothing more than the great Enabler and Backstabber. It creates stars and then smashes them, but cares nothing for the Great People in the sports field. ESPN has shown that it truly sucks and is nothing more than self-important gas bags no better than the spoiled brat man child athletes they cover, that they would not even devote B story time to such a man who influenced 60 years of baseball fans, and generations of players in the Reds system. So, to ESPN, I will refrain from any more insulting, as Joe would get mad at me. But shame on you...you missed the call, real bad.

Some outlets get it. Even the New York Times had a moment of clarity in that Joe's obit led off their section yesterday or today, in the printed edition. Here is the link.

Major League Baseball has a nice story up by a former Reds beat writer.

The usually bland and pathetic Liberal Cincinnati Emptyquirer even has a nice spot, opening up comment to us, the fans.

And for those of us who think Joe was just some humdrum pitcher, think again. 83 complete games, 20 shutouts. A lifetime 3.90 ERA. Look at his numbers. If he were a pitcher today, a man who never made more than 25,000 in his era, today he would probably be pulling down 5-10 million dollars. And this was in an era when pitchers were hard workers. When 6 innings was a bare start, when 9 innings was expected. That he could go longer and still have the career he did, on some of the teams he did, says a lot. He was not just some shadowy hanger on. He had talent, and was a two time all star in an era that saw the Drysdales, the Koufaxes, the Marichals, etc. Today Joe would be a big money pitcher, and a big money lefty at that. He was a very good pitcher, on some lousy teams, but again, most importantly, he was A GREAT MAN. The reason we don't think about Joe the athlete is that Joe the MAN overshadows him. It is not often that the off the field endeavors overshadow an athlete's career. But what Joe did as a man and the way he treated people do just that.

I know Joe is probably looking down shaking his head at all the fuss, since he never asked for any accolades all his life, he only asked that people treat each other kindly, and that pitchers get that bunt down, and that people try hard. All he ever wanted was to make life a little better for us all. For that, Joe, mission accomplished.

He has now gotten the ultimate call-up and has slipped the surly bonds of earth and thrown a nice inside heater to the Man upstairs.

I think they should name the field after him. Joe Nuxhall Field at the Great American Ball Park. I think it has a good ring to it. What do you think?

And to those of us left behind, I think he will simply tell us what he told many of those Reds pitchers he shared memories and knowledge and encouragement with....
HANG WITH EM.

God bless you Joe. Godspeed. And thanks for the memories, the long summer nights, and winks and nods and autographs and handshakes...Thanks for you, Joe, thanks for you.

More Joe Nuxhall Remembrances...From Jim Borgman

Go and check out these two cartoons. One is simply titled "Home" and ran today;
and the other is one from Jim's archives that will be run again this weekend.


Joe was a great man and he would want us to enjoy these cartoons and enjoy telling each other stories about when we met him, and sharing Joe's flubs and foibles. He would want us to be happy. After all, God has called him up....
Godspeed, Joe.

By the way, public memorial will be Tuesday from 4-8pm at the Fairfield High School auditeria, I believe....Double check that to make sure. In Lieu of flowers, the family would like donations made to the Joe Nuxhall Character Education fund.

Safe at Home....Godspeed, Joe Nuxhall

Truly, the end of an era happened this morning.





Joe Nuxhall, former Cincinnati Reds pitcher and one of the voices of the Reds to many generations of sports fans, passed away this morning. He was 79. He was in the hospital battling complications from pneumonia, as well as awaiting surgery to implant a pacemaker. He was also battling cancer for the 3rd time.

According to his family, despite all this, he rallied up til the very end. Sadly, his friend and broadcast partner for 30+years, Marty Brennaman, was on a cruise in the Pacific when he found out. You can see the Reds Press Conference on Nuxhall here, by following the link provided on the page.

Joe Nuxhall was known as the Ol' Lefthander, and was often the grandfatherly figure many of us Reds fans saw and got autographs from when we made it down to Riverfront/Cinergy Field, or to the Great American Ballpark. He always had a kind word, a sparkle in his eye, and a love for children. Once, I met Joe at a show and showed him a picture taken of us when I was a kid, and he said, "Wow, is that you?" and then proceeded to ask about my life and when it was all said and done said, well, "you turned out all right, I see." The man was a Cincinnati institution.

Was he the greatest pitcher in Reds history? There is only a slight argument. Was he the greatest ballplayer? Certainly not. However, what he was, he was everyman. He was all of us, living the dream. He was Hamilton Joe, the 15 year old who got to pitch for the Reds and made a career out of it. He was our eyes and ears, bringing the game home to us. Who cares if he sometimes said that Sabo hit it to left center right field, it was Joe. He was our link. He was our link not only to the Reds and baseball of the current era, but more importantly, to a simpler era, when players wanted the love of the fans, when they wanted to be in the community. As Marty Brennaman said, there is no bigger personality in Reds history than Joe Nuxhall. He was Cincinnati Reds baseball for over six decades.

You know, you can judge a man, ulitmately, by his fruits, the Bible tells us. Joe Nuxhall leaves behind a family that is wonderful, including a son Kim who teaches in Fairfield, and who helped develop the Joe Nuxhall Character fund. Joe was always reaching out to kids, and he helped many people during his years. I have yet to run into anyone who had anything unkind to say about Joe Nuxhall, Bill Cunningham's stupid shtick not withstanding. His character fund has helped out many, and lending his name and time to charities has led to thousands having it a little better during the holidays. God bless Hamilton Joe.

Joe Nuxhall represented a last link to that bygone time when ballplayers really were one of us, when you could see them at the corner store or at the diner. In fact, Joe often went around the Hamilton/Fairfield area and ate breakfast with the people. It is not known how much he actually ate because typically he was besieged by autograph seekers and fans. He never turned them down, not once.

He was always available. He always threw batting practice, up until the late 1990s, I believe. He played in many old timers games, and was always in charity golf events. He was always out promoting Reds baseball and good community service. He was a legend, not just for what he did, but for WHO HE WAS.

Joe was always willing to laugh at himself. His Kroger TV and Radio Commercials with Marty Brennaman are some of the funniest things you will see. He and Marty were the ultimate team, with Marty the hard edged voice of the critic and Joe the ever soothing Homer who just wanted to see the boys play hard. It is fitting somehow, that his last public appearance was one in levity. He led the annual Chicken Dance at Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, having fun and making people happy, as he did for six decades.

Joe hadn't been a fulltime Reds broadcaster since 2005. However, whenever he came in to do a game it was a treat. Even if he mispronounced names, or miscalled balls initially, he still had the same spark that called Pete Rose's 4192nd hit, the joy for the game that called the 1990 series. He was our Joe. And finally, sadly for us, he has rounded third and been ruled safe at home. Well done, Joe. Godspeed.

The Reds have put up a makeshift memorial next to his statue outside Great American BallPark, and a black ribbon hangs from his Reds HOF plaque in the museum. Tonight, all the Ballpark lights will be turned off except the ones that illuminate his farewell catchphrase, "rounding third and heading for home." Local Channel 12 will be running a special at 4:30pm on the life and times of Joe Nuxhall. Well done, Joe. Godspeed. Our thoughts and prayers are with Joe's Many Friends and Family.

Do your part for the old lefthander. Get him considered for the Ford Frick award. The man deserves it. He needs to be in that Hall. If he isn't, then it isn't quite worth going to see. He and Marty were a team. If one is in, they both need to be in.

More Joe Links:
Lance McAllister, 1530 HOMER Radio Show Host, Reds Fan
WCPO coverage
WLWT Coverage
WKRC local 12 Coverage

88th District Rep. Danny Bubp Calling....

Got off the phone earlier today with my State Rep. and a great American, Col. Danny Bubp, who has received orders to deploy to Iraq. Bubp, a Marine reservist, will be pulling a 6 to 8 month duty in Iraq.

We talked about what lies ahead for him and for Ohio, and that he is not done yet. He is even as we speak filing his papers to run for re-election. While he is gone, his staff will be keeping constituents apprised of state matters through the weekly columns Col. Bubp was writing himself, but now his staff will be writing them as reports from the office. Col. Bubp has also been asked by news organizations to file monthly reports on what he is seeing in Iraq and his experiences there.

Col. Bubp and I talked about his duty in Iraq, and I will not divulge specifics of what he will be doing and exactly where, but his duty is not exactly going to be "cushy" by any stretch. I do not want to give specifics because I firmly remember my WWII history, "loose lips sink ships."

Col. Bubp will be leaving in the next week or so for training in California, and then after that he ships off to Iraq for his tour of duty, sometime after the Christmas Holiday. Col. Bubp has said that if his schedule permits when he comes home on leave for the Holidays, he might be able to have a sitdown with Matt and I. We would be honored.

Col. Bubp will be speaking at three local area schools in the district tomorrow, including Western Brown in Brown County and Felicity in Clermont County. Unfortunately, he will be training in California for the Support the Troops rally he was supposed to attend Nov. 17 at Peace Lutheran Church in Arnheim.

Col. Bubp has vowed to stay apprised of things back home as he is in harm's way, and he asks the voters of the district to remember him in prayer and to not forget him. Like MacArthur, or even the Terminator, he will be back.

God bless Col. Bubp, God bless the soldiers, God bless America.

Victoria"Tori"Schattauer Saga: Nude UnEdited Pic Surfaces, sort of.

WARNING, ADULT CONTENT...VIEW LINK ONLY IF YOU ARE OVER 18
As Matt and I have received a huge amount of hits since covering the whole Topless Cheerleader and Coach Saga, I can only imagine that a few of those hits were people looking for the pic in a less censored forum. Well, not wanting to deny readers what they are looking for, you can find Tori's side of the pic relatively free from obscurity here. NOTE: WARNING, ADULT CONTENT..VIEW ONLY IF YOU ARE OVER 18..WE HERE AT WMD ASSUME NO LIABILITY in your decision to do view the pics. Please be aware that the freshman girl on the right is thought to be underage (15). This is why you will not find the photo hosted on our servers.

So for those of you more interested in being titillated or who were looking for a turn-on, there you are....we here at WMD covered this story because we think it is an outrage and hope the ex-coaches are punished to the fullest extent of the law.

UPDATE: While the above links did not show anyone under the age of 18 nude (at least no more than the 5 oclock news showed a 15 year old naked), the second link showing both the coach and the underage girl has been removed. While there were blacked out areas of the face and the nude regions, we here at WMD had a talk and thought that this was perhaps over the line, even though it was edited.
Once again, I want to clear the record for rock stars and others out there. This site has not shown or linked to nude pictures of underage girls. Now please quit reporting it that way. Thank you.

88th Ohio District Rep Danny Bubp's Message to Constituents

My state Rep, and a great American, Colonel Danny Bubp had this to say to Constituents regarding going on active duty and what that means:

I am on active duty effective 11-13-2007 and will be deploy to Iraq in January. I will be back in time for fall session and I am definitely running again. During my time on active duty my staff should be contacted with all concerns, will work with me via e-mail and other means to continue to fulfill my duties to the district. I will continue to work with Joe Uecker and Tom Niehaus on issues important to you. I will also send updates from Iraq. Rest assured that my colleagues in the House and Senate as well as my staff in Columbus will continue to provide all of the services you need as my constituents. May God continue to Bless the United States of America!

I work hard to bring principles and dedication to the 88th District and to the Ohio House of Representatives. At the Statehouse, I fight for smaller government, lower taxes, your right to bear arms, and traditional family values. We have work to do, so I ask for your continued support so that I can carry on with the job that you elected me to do. Together, we can build our community's bright future.

Contact my local law office at 307 N. Market St., West Union, OH 45693 or phone at (937) 544-2581 or email me at Danny@DannyBubp.com.

You can reach my Columbus office by calling
(614) 644-6034 or write me, State Representative Danny Bubp, at 77 S. High St., District 88, Columbus, OH 43215. I can also be contacted by e- mail at District88@ohr.state.oh.us.

Best Wishes,

Danny Bubp

State Representative

88th House District

Godspeed, Colonel Bubp. Keep your eyes sharp and your powder dry...SEMPER FI!

Victoria"Tori"Schattauer Update: To Face Charges, and the Rest of the Story

Victoria"Tori"Schattauer, the disgraced ex-Goshen cheerleading coach who decided it was a good idea to provide booze to underage kids and take nude pictures with them, is going to face criminal charges. From WCPO:

photo taken at a party in Blanchester has two former coaches facing criminal charges.

The photo allegedly shows a 15-year-old girl posing topless with her cheerleading coach, 19-year-old Victoria Schattauer.

On Tuesday, the Blanchester Police Department filed misdemeanor charges against Schattauer and 19-year-old Andrew Emerson.

Police charged Schattauer with contributing to the unruliness of a minor while Emerson was charged with providing alcohol to a minor. Investigators say the photo was taken at a party at Emerson's home.

Emerson was a Goshen assistant football coach.

Police do not plan on filing charges against the 15-year-old girl.

Emerson and Schattauer will be arraigned on November 20.

What about child porn charges? Engaging in lewd conduct?

Anyway, I have found out some more about how this photo came about. It appears the 15 year old excused herself to the bathroom and decided to take some nasty pix of herself for her boyfriend. Then Ms. Schattauer, "the adult" walked in and instead of saying "wht hte hell are you doing, stop that!" says, "let's give him a show." They then proceed to take the picture. The boyfriend receives the photo and begins sharing with friends.

Here is the scary part. According to Bill Cunningham on O'Reilly's show last night, many people in the Goshen area are taking a "no big deal" approach and wiping it under the rug. That is shameful and any parent who takes such an attitude should not be surprised when their daughter is the next one to slut out with a coach. If that is the atttitude of the citizens of the Goshen School District, they should all be ashamed.

Victoria "Tori"Schattauer Story To Be a Lead on O'Reilly Factor Tonight

Victoria"Tori"Schattauer, the disgraced Goshen cheerleader who allegedly supplied booze to freshman at a party and got naked with one of her freshman charges in a photo Schattauer took, will be covered (unlike Tori) on Fox News Channel tonight on the O'Reilly Factor. I have been waiting to be called by the show, but they have not, even though we have been one of the blogs on the forefront of this story, and I have noticed some hits from New York that could have come from FoxNews researchers. That is OK, we understand, Bill sometimes let's us little people do his work for him.

A commenter said something about the last name of the freshman student in the picture with Tori Schauttauer having the same last name as the superintendent of schools at Goshen. If anyone has any info on this, please email us or post in the comments section. While I do not want to get the victim's full name, just some confimation of this would lead an interesting tie to the story.

You might recall, Schauttauer, 19, a 2006 graduate of Goshen was officially hired earlier last month to be an assistant Freshan football cheerleading coach. Later that same month her and the 19 year old assistant football team coach, named Emerson (who was approved by the board the same day as Schattauer) were at a party hosted by Emerson where Schattauer allegedly brought alcohol. There she drank with the freshmen and had one of her charges on the squad join her in getting naked and taking pictures, possibly with a camera phone. In the picture, it is obvious Schattauer is taking the picture and mugging a kiss to the camera, while obviously topless. The picture made its way over the internet, and then it all broke.

The two coaches were fired, and the freshman in the picture is subject to action in the participaton code and student conduct. The local police have also been alerted and are investigating.

And, we have covered the media stupidity in their reporting, making Clermont County sound as if it has only one school district, when in fact there are several, and Goshen is one of those.

Victoria "Tori" Schattauer: Nepotism and Promiscuous?

We received a comment from someone who claims their child went to school with the disgraced ex-Goshen Freshman Cheerleading coach who thinks being a role model is rolling drunk at a party naked and doing some nude modelling with underage girls. Here is what the commenter called "Me" had to say:

Tori was a graduate of GHS in 2006. Her mother coached for a couple of years and was quitting. After advertising the opening to Goshen Schools staff, and noone stepped up, Tori was hired. She was a slut in school and is just as trashy now. She went to school with my kid, so I know her well.

Ok, the slut thing is unsubstantiated, but when you look at her myspace pics and her behavior in supplying alcohol and engaging in lewd conduct with minors, one has to start thinking, if it walks like a duck, gets naked like a duck, it sure ain't a rooster. However, seriously, why would you hire someone who is just a bit over 1 year removed from being a student at the same school, and who already has relationships with some of these girls which would present a conflict in authority and such? Also, I think there is some nepotism here. And, if this parent knew Tori's supposed reputation, why couldn't the school board have found out or a teacher stepped forward, even anonymously, to voice a concern?

I just have to ask though: what does the Mr. McMahon that Tori refers to on her MySpace page as being engaged to think of this? Was he hot for underage girls too? Or is Tori going to have to forget about being called Mrs. McMahon? Please update us with this status, as I am interested to see what the bf and his family has to say about being tied to someone who would booze up 15 year olds and get naughty with them and distribute it on the net....

The One Place You WON'T See Pics of Victoria "Tori" Schattauer

Where am I talking about? The Goshen School District Website. In fact, the disgraced bimbo ex-coach has made it so it appears the entire cheerleading section has been scrubbed. When you click on the cheerleading link on this page here is what you get:

Re-enter
PWDA An Exception has Occurred (click triangle to view)

Here is the address of said error page.
So, girls, I guess you won't be having any memories online of your days as freshman cheerleaders, thanks to the bimbo ex-coach and irresponsible people who hired her.

Victoria "Tori" Schattauer: We Have The Board of Ed. Minutes Where Hired.

The disgraced Goshen Freshman Cheerleading Coach was only officially on the job a few weeks...since October 8, 2007...and I guess the standard background check didn't include looking at her racy myspace page. And also on this list is the Freshman Football coach who hosted the party where Tori brought the booze and got one of her students drunk and took nude pictures of them together....
I bet the Board wishes they could have these decisions back:

B. Supplemental Contracts
Approval of the following supplemental contracts for the 07-08 school year pending proper certification, background check and necessary paperwork:
Regular Session
October 8, 2007
Pam Owens Drug Free Secretary $1,000
Pam Owens Career Ed Secretary $ 550
Jane Schmidbauer, District Career Ed Coordinator $ 350
Marilyn Meyer GHS Career Ed Coordinator $ 800
Lisa Velagic GMS Career Ed Coordinator $ 800
Shelli D’Orazio SES Career Ed Coordinator $ 550
Lisa Burns M/C Career Ed Coordinator $ 550
Andrew Emerson Football Coach Assistant 1 Step 0
Christopher Herrington Football Coach Assistant 1 Step 0
Tori Schattauer Football Cheer Coach Assistant 1 Step 0
Scott Wake Boys Head Varsity Basket Ball Coach Step 6
Craig Hjelmeng Boys Assistant 1 Basketball Coach Step 8
Matt Bonnell Boys Assistant 2 Basketball Coach Step 3
Jim Bowling Girls Head Varsity Basketball Coach Step 2
Ashlie Bolyard Girls Assistant 1 Basketball Coach Step 2
Angela Clark Girls Assistant 2 Basketball Coach Step 2
Brandi Phillips Basketball Varsity Cheer Coach Step 2
Kristin Rubenbauer Basketball Assistant 1 Cheer Coach-JV Step 3
Kristin Rubenbauer Basketball Asst.1 Cheer Coach-Fresh Step 3
Matt Smallwood Boys Bowling Coach Step 3
Sarah Hunt Girls Bowling Coach Step 3
Shiloh McQueary Boys Head 7th grade Basketball Coach Step 7
Donny Cornwell Boys Head 8th grade Basketball Coach Step 4
Brian McKnight Girls Head 8th grade Basketball Coach Step 2
Ed Williams Girls Head 7th grade Basketball Coach Step 5
Kim Dolan Basketball 7th grade Cheer Coach Step 2
Kelly DeNu Basketball 8th grade Cheer Coach Step 2
Travis Smith 7/8 grade Wrestling Coach Step 1

The link to the board minutes is here.