Berkeley-At this evening’s Pacifica National Board meeting, NY listener representative Stephen Brown notified the board he was in receipt of a statement from a KPFK employee about a volunteer who said “they had brought a gun into KPFK” and their “friend outside in KPFK’s parking lot was also packing a gun”. The assertions were reported to a senior employee, who reported them to outgoing executive director John Proffitt on Monday, October 12th and and received no response at all. Brown stated on the board’s Internet stream that KPFK’s former web director Ali Lexa, who was laid off in September, had let him know today of the lack of response from Pacifica to the report of firearms at the station.
(Lexa was contacted by this publication and clarified that he was not the individual who heard the statement, but was appalled when a former co-worker confided that no response had been received from Pacifica management three days after notification).
Board chair Lydia Brazon, who began the meeting by announcing she would be occupying the executive director job through January of 2016 (Brazon’s elected board term expired in 2013; she is one of the board members overstaying their elected terms by 2 years), rapidly cut Brown off, insisting the report “was nothing”. Brazon claimed an investigation had already been performed although Pacifica never requested the name of the witness to the statement or spoke to that individual about what was said to them about bringing guns into the station.
Brown made a motion for the board to affirm the zero tolerance for weapons policy and discuss the report. Chair/IED Brazon broke an 8-8 tie to prevent the board from the discussion. This is the motion Brazon voted down: “In accordance with the Pacifica Handbook, The Pacifica National Board reaffirms zero tolerance for the open or concealed carry of firearms or other weapons on the premises of KPFK, or any Pacifica-owned or leased property, as well as statements or threats by any staffer, programmer, volunteer or other person that they are in possession of firearms or weapons on the premises. The board further rules that any person who violates the above, or abets another to violate it, will immediately be terminated (if staff, management or a volunteer) and permanently barred from Pacifica-owned or leased property”.
Pacifica in Exile has secured a copy of the report to the board regarding the statement of bringing guns to the station and reproduces it below. In addition to the direct prohibition on any weapons in any Pacifica work site, California law prevents the open carry or concealed carry of firearms without a California Concealed Weapons Permit (CCW), which requires completion of a firearms safety training course and documentation of a direct threat to oneself or a nuclear family member.
Pacifica is required to report the results of any investigation, actions taken in response, and to safeguard the physical safety of all employees, volunteers and visitors to their stations. The democratized national board passed a motion immediately in 2002 that never again would armed security guards roam Pacifica stations at the behest of management. In this case, the armed individuals are not professional security, but amateur vigilantes. Local KPFK management has written checks from listener donations to the individual who stated he had brought a gun into the station — for security services.
Here is the report which Pacifica management and the Pacifica National Board majority did not respond to.
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Subject: Weapons at KPFK
Thursday October 15 3:41pm
Dear Steve,
I am writing to you in order to ask you to request the national board take immediate action to protect workplace safety and get Pacifica into compliance with the law in Southern California.
Having been made aware of this situation by a former co-worker and told that notification has already been made to the outgoing executive director, I feel it’s my obligation to make every effort to avert a potential incident at KPFK, and protect everyone who enters the premises.
As an employee, I took mandatory workplace sexual harrasment trainings mandated by Pacifica management in which clear instructions were given to immediately report any situations like this one.
The issue is credible reports of concealed weapons on site at KPFK-FM on at least one occasion, brought in by volunteers recruited by general manager Leslie Radford.
I want to emphasize that Pacifica’s personnel policy states clearly that weapons are prohibited.
Even more importantly, the open or concealed carry of firearms, whether loaded or unloaded, is prohibited under California law without the possession of a California Concealed Weapon Permit (CCW) which requires completion of a firearms safety class. (California Penal Code 26150 & 26155 PC).
http://www.lapdonline.org/get_
I am requesting your assurance the Pacifica National Board will immediately indicate zero tolerance for the open or concealed carry of firearms on the premises of KPFK, or any Pacifica-owned or leased property, as well as statements or threats by any staffer, programmer, volunteer or other person that they are in possession of firearms or weapons on the premises.
The communication I have pasted below has not received any response from station or network management.
If you need more information, please let me know. I’d also appreciate an update on what type of actions might be taken.
From: XXXXX
Sent: Monday, October 12, 2015 5:55 PM
To: John Gladney Proffitt, Patricia Morgan
Subject: Serious issue at KPFK Radio..
Dear John and Patricia, I was told by a reliable source that when Leslie Radford first came to KPFK with the person who is now our Volunteer Coordinator, he brought a gun into KPFK (to supposedly protect Leslie from KPFK staff) and there was also another friend of his outside in KPFK’s parking lot who he said was also “packing a gun”. He bragged about it to my good friend, a former KPFK staff member. I would like to know what I need to do to file a grievance regarding this matter before John leaves his position as ED. My source is willing to testify about this matter as soon as papers are filed.
Here is page 16 of the Pacifica Handbook regarding: VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE
Statement of Policy : Pacifica recognizes that workplace violence is a concern across the country. Pacifica is committed to providing a safe, violence-free workplace. In this regard, Pacifica strictly prohibits employees, volunteers, consultants, customers, visitors, or anyone else on Pacifica premises or engaging in a Pacifica-related activity from behaving in a violent or threatening manner. Moreover, Pacifica seeks to prevent workplace violence before it begins and reserves the right to address certain behaviors, even in the absence of violent behavior. Pacifica believes that prevention of workplace violence begins with recognition and awareness of potential early warning signs and has established procedures for responding to any situation that presents the possibility of violence. Threats, threatening language or any other acts of aggression or violence made toward or by any employee or volunteer will not be tolerated. For purposes of this policy, a threat includes any verbal or physical harassment or abuse, any attempt at intimidating or instilling fear in others, menacing gestures, flashing weapons, stalking or any other hostile, aggressive, injurious and/or destructive action undertaken for the purpose of domination or intimidation.
Weapons are prohibited on Pacifica premises or at Pacifica-sponsored meetings and events. “Weapons” include any or all of the following: BB guns (loaded or unloaded), switchblades or other knives containing spring release devices, stilettos, police batons, nightsticks, or any martial arts weapon or electronic defense weapon. (TX only – an volunteer who holds a concealed handgun license is permitted to transport and store a lawfully possessed firearm or ammunition in a locked, privately owned automobile in any parking facility Pacifica provides for volunteers. Texas volunteers are still prohibited from bringing the weapon beyond the confines of their vehicle into any property owned or operated by Pacifica).
All potentially dangerous situations, including threats by co-workers, should be reported immediately to Unit General Managers or directly to the National Office. Reports of threats will be maintained confidential to the extent maintaining confidentiality does not impede Pacifica’s ability to investigate and respond to the complaints. All threats will be promptly investigated. No one will be subjected to retaliation, intimidation or disciplinary action as a result of reporting a threat in good faith under this policy. If an investigation confirms that the threat of a violent act or violence itself has occurred, Pacifica will take swift and appropriate corrective action up to and including immediate discharge or banning from Pacifica premises. If you are the recipient of a threat made by an outside party, please do not hesitate to report it. It is important for us to be aware of any potential danger in our offices. Indeed, we want to take effective measures to protect everyone from the threat of a violent act by an employee or by anyone else.
Please let me know what the next steps will be and I’m sending this e-mail from my personal email to keep this matter private and strictly confidential.
Sincerely,
XXXXXXX
KPFK Radio 90.7 FM
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Pacifica in Exile readers may write to the board at pnb@pacifica.org.
For readers who may wish to do more, any donor to a California-based not for profit organization like Pacifica may file a complaint to the open file at the Registry of Charitable Trusts at the Office of the CA Attorney General. Pacifica’s case number is CT011303. The form and instructions for filing may be downloaded here.
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Started in 1946 by conscientious objector Lew Hill, Pacifica’s storied history includes impounded program tapes for a 1954 on-air discussion of marijuana, broadcasting the Seymour Hersh revelations of the My Lai massacre, bombings by the Ku Klux Klan, going to jail rather than turning over the Patty Hearst tapes to the FBI, and Supreme Court cases including the 1984 decision that noncommercial broadcasters have the constitutional right to editorialize, and the Seven Dirty Words ruling following George Carlin’s incendiary performances on WBAI. Pacifica Foundation Radio operates noncommercial radio stations in New York, Washington, Houston, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area, and syndicates content to over 180 affiliates. It invented listener-supported radio.
