EVIDENCE
The following emails serve as Evidence of one person's attempt to get Bideawee on East 38th Street to pay attention and address the fact that they have an Emotionally Disturbed, harmful, and abusive Employee named GARY HOOPER on their Staff. Gary Hooper's abuse, including hitting, of animals has been witnessed, but there are no cameras in most areas of Bideawee where Gary has solitary, unlimited access to animals.
Requests to have cameras in these areas have been ignored. And, in fact, Bideawee execs just defend and protect Gary, although most of these execs are nearly never around the areas where the animals actually ARE. And, in fact, most of them are often in the Long Island location of Bideawee, which is far, far away from the Manhattan location.
Bideawee is covering up Gary Hooper's behavior, and those that complain are retaliated upon. They are told to dissappear or quit, leaving an atmosphere of fear (of losing their jobs) to everyone else, and the animals are STILL in harm's way.
Melissa Meade is the Volunteer & Events Manager, and one of the aforementioned employees in fear of losing her job, and, therefore, completely compromised in regard to advocating for, or protecting, the shelter animals.
Below are the Emails:
February 22, 2013
Hi Melissa,
There's no need to reply to this email.
I'm just going to delineate what happened at the meeting at Bideawee today, 2.21.13, convening at approximately 2:30pm.
Having been told by you, in emails I've copied and pasted below, that this was a meeting convened to discuss my observations of the abusive staffer at Bideawee named Gary, I came to this meeting and met with:
Volunteer & Events Manager, Melissa Meade
VP, Marketing & Communications, Steven Tedder
Director of HR, Marcia Hennessey
Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Paar
The meeting convened at approximately 2:30pm on 2.21.13.
Steven
indicated that his role included working with volunteers in some kind
of supervisory capacity, although I don't see that reflected in his
title, and, as a volunteer, I was NEVER told he worked at Bideawee in
that capacity. NOR have I ever seen
Steven or Marcia on the floor where the animals actually are during any
time there.
I
described the history of abusive behavior I have witnessed by the
staffer, GARY, still currently employed by NYC Bideawee (located at 410
East 38th Street, New York, NY 10016). I said that Gary was an EDP
(Emotionally Disturbed Person) as per my observations of him: his
erratic, violent behavior, and I've copied and pasted previous emails
about it below.
Both Marcia and Steven were offended by my calling Gary an "EDP", but I pointed out that you don't need a psychiatric certificate to say someone is an EDP. For example, even the NYPD allows people to report individuals as EDP's.
I
said that if they were truly concerned about his EDP evaluation, they
could, of course, get some psych into Bideawee to observe him. Neither
Marcia nor Steven indicated that they would do that.
I repeated several times that I was there as an advocate for the animals, who cannot speak for themselves.
I also said several times that I had been told by Melissa and the Bideawee Manager that they have received numerous complaints from individuals about how Gary mistreats them.
Melissa said at the meeting that she had received such complaints.
Steven tried multiple times to minimize the situation with jokes, saying that some people may classify him as having some kind of [disorder]. I said that I didn't find jokes appropriate.
I indicated that Gary has much alone time with the animals, and that I was concerned. I mentioned that there could be cameras in the area so, at least, there's footage of when Gary is alone with the animals.
No one there indicated that they would follow through with my idea about cameras, and Dr. Paar, compensating, said that she looks through the window where Gary is often. (N.B. It is physically impossible for Dr. Paar to constantly observe Gary through this window, since she works most often on the medical floor, which is a DIFFERENT FLOOR, as a veterinarian at Bideawee).
When I tried to interject Points of Clarification to Marcia when she was speaking, she got upset and said "save them until I'm finished". But, Points of Clarification are supposed to occur when someone is speaking, because a Point needs to be Clarified.
It was clear this wasn't really a meeting to discuss the Bideawee abuser, Gary, by that point. They were there to defend him.
Marcia illustrated that point perfectly when she said, "If it comes down to choice between Gary and you, I pick Gary". She had previously said that just like I defend the animals there, she defends the Staff.
Even if it's an abuser on Staff. And, even if the Bideawee Mission is supposed to be about
animals!
BOTH Marcia and Steven said that they wanted me to temporarily leave my role as Volunteer, AND THAT THAT WAS DECIDED BEFORE EVEN SITTING DOWN AT THE MEETING.
This was never a meeting to discuss Gary. They wanted to force me to stop volunteering.
When
Marcia and Steven said that, I said that it was sad to see that this is
what happens when a person reports a violent staffer to Bideawee, I
left, and Marcia followed, talking about me being "upset".
THERE'S AN EDP ANIMAL ABUSER WITH CONTINUED ACCESS TO ANIMALS AT BIDEAWEE. THAT IS SOMETHING TO BE UPSET ABOUT.
THEY ARE COVERING IT UP. AND, WHEN SOMEONE BRINGS IT TO THEIR ATTENTION, THEY GET RID OF THEM.
Copied and pasted emails
follow:
This one is from Melissa and show what I was told the meeting would be about:
Hi.,
Would you be able to come to the shelter on Tuesday at 1:00 PM? My supervisor just wants to understand your concerns about Gary.
Let me know if that works.
Thanks!
Melissa Meade
NYC Volunteer & Events Manager
The following are emails where I talk about Gary's EDP behavior:
________________________________________________________________
February 26, 2013
Mary Luria is the Chair of the Bideawee Board.
Hi Mary,
I expected, but hoped, for a different reply.
I proposed solutions at the 2.21.13 meeting that were not considered, that included, but were NOT limited to:
1. Putting cameras in the areas where there are none and Gary has alone access to animals.
2. Bring some independent (NOT attached to B.A.W. in any capacity) HUMAN behavior evaluator into B.A.W. to evaluate Gary.
3. Have Gary present at the meeting on 2.21.13 (since he was working there that day).
NONE of these suggestions were considered.
Leading me to the conclusion: Bideawee is covering up Gary's behavior, and those that complain are retaliated upon. They are told to disappear or quit, leaving an atmosphere of fear (of losing their jobs) to everyone else, and the animals are STILL in harm's way.
Sad.
From: Luria, Mary
Subject: RE: Hi Mary...about Bideawee
Cc: "'Nancy Taylor'" , "Luria, Mary"
Date: Tuesday, February 26, 2013, 4:23 PM
I have reviewed your 2/22 email and am aware of your complaint and BAW’s follow-up. You need to understand that Gary has worked with us for many years and we valued his skills as an animal trainer, particularly for dogs with little or no prior training. His training helps us move the animals quickly to the adoption area and into loving “forever homes”. Most trainers use commands to get a dog’s attention and teach basic skills necessary for adoption. None of us agree with your complaint or analysis of his behavior. Thank you for expressing your concern
Sent: Friday, February 22, 2013 12:34 AM
To: Luria, Mary
Subject: Hi Mary...about Bideawee
|
June 24, 2013
The following is an email to the Bideawee Manager and Board:
Hi Mona,
I
emailed you yesterday about Bideawee's employed EDP (Emotionally
Disturbed Person), Gary, but I had to add something about installing
cameras at Bideawee. I've copied-and-pasted yesterday's email to the
bottom of this one, for easy reference.
I'm also cc'ing Mary Luria, who is Chair of the Board at Bideawee, and I'm cc'ing her this email in that capacity.
I
have contact with a
private, non-profit agency who has offered to FUND (very generous!) the
project of having cameras in ALL of the areas that Gary has solitary
access to animals. In addition, the Footage collected from these
cameras would have
to be effectively and routinely reviewed, of course.
Here's the copy-and-paste below of my email sent to you on 6.23.13:
Hi Mona,
This is Joanna, I used to volunteer at Bideawee, and you know me.
I am writing to you in your capacity as Manager of Bideawee Animal Shelter, and I actually expect this email to be ignored.
But, I have been advised to contact Bideawee's
Management once again, since our protests about Bideawee employing an
emotionally disturbed person, GARY, who abuses both animal and people,
have been ignored.
We have also placed numerous phone calls,
which haven't been returned, and there have been other attempts to
contact Bideawee about Gary.
I am sure you are aware that we have
protested in front of the Bideawee NYC location several times, and the
NYPD has been called against our peaceful protest, and, of course, the
NYPD just acknowledged our right to protest Bideawee and our right to
continuing protesting
Bideawee.
So, we are asking that Bideawee:
1.
Meet with us in a venue other than Bideawee to really discuss Gary, and
NOT have a farce of a meeting like the last one, which was ostensibly to
discuss Gary, but really was just to force me to quit volunteering in a
RETALIATORY action for reporting Gary's abuse.
2. At the bare
minimum, Bideawee should have cameras in place in ALL of the areas where
Gary has solitary access to the animals, and effectively, routinely
REVIEW this Footage.
As I mentioned, I expect this email to be ignored. Bideawee clearly is covering-up for abuser Gary,
and we will continue to protest Bideawee, including their *fundraiser*
of the Bideawee Ball, and Bideawee will continue to receive negative
publicity, until we feel our concerns are addressed in the serious
manner outlined above.
Joanna
As of 7.14.13, the above email, and its offer of FREE camera installation at Bideawee, has gone UNANSWERED.