KPFA, Dennis Bernstein and "the Hanrahan affair"

(Source: http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?disc=165346;article=38514)

Leslie Kean (repost)
Re: KPFA, Dennis Bernstein and "the Hanrahan affair"
Fri Jul 1, 2005 17:12
206.170.104.58

March 27, 2002

I am writing this statement in direct response to a memo circulated by Noelle Hanrahan on March 20, 2002. A copy of her memo is below.

I was an associate producer on Flashpoints for a number of years and now am a contributing producer. I was part of the committee that hired Noelle.

I was a witness to the events beginning last October as they unfolded. My first exposure to this was when I witnessed Noelle ranting against Dennis in front of the Senior Center to me and a group of four others. She was furious. She had decided that she was entitled to be a Senior Producer and co-host for the program. This decision had come after less than six months in her second associate producer position. The formal job description she was hired into was never as a co-host (which she continues to call herself on her memos) but rather it was as an associate producer. This included some on-air work as only part of her job. On her own, she attempted to expand the jurisdiction, responsibility and power of her job. When her efforts were rebutted, she used the gender card to justify her actions, attacking Flashpoints producer Dennis Bernstein. Dennis was labeled a sexist and a batterer for not caving into inappropriate behavior.

As Noelle's demands and behavior became more troublesome and disruptive - most of her ire directed at Dennis - Tomas Moran, then a member of the Pacifica National Board, and interim station manager, Jim Bennett called on me to assist them in their effort to resolve the escalating conflict. They asked me to play a pivotal role in facilitating communications between Dennis and management. I was intimately involved with the situation from day one, and was uniquely qualified to understand things from the inside, given the fact that I was a producer on the program, knew everyone on the staff well, and got along with everyone. I believe that I possessed the ability to be objective, since my desire was to protect the integrity and vibrancy of Flashpoints.

I have no choice but to respond given the level of mistatement, inaccuracy, and character assasination in Noelle's public, written and verbal statements. Her accusations of gender and sexual harassment are simply unfounded. They never occurred. Dennis works with four woman producers other than Noelle. None of them have had any problems with Dennis. None of them have observed Dennis treating Noelle as she claims. I have worked closely with Dennis for six years, and have never experienced or observed gender or sexual harassment on his part towards anyone.

In fact, it was Noelle who appeared to be the abuser here. Since this began, the other members of the Flashpoints team filed numerous complaints with management and union shop stewards about Noelle's treatment of them. There is a paper trail here that exposes the truth. Unfortunately, they cannot be released because they are personnel matters and therefore confidential. All four content producers -- Yun Suh, Dennis, Robert Knight and myself -- clearly stated that they could not work with Noelle. Management did not act on the memos to stop Noelle from abusing her co-workers, allowing the problem to escalate.

Noelle bullied Flashpoints associate producer Yun Suh. (Dennis first raised the issue of Noelle's hostility in June 2001, as a result of several temper tantrums by Noelle and what he characterized as her abusive treatment of Yun.) Again, this is all documented. Yun Suh called me one time for advice in dealing with Noelle's aggressive and disrespectful behavior towards herself and Flashpoints guests when Dennis was out of town. At one point, Yun was so upset by this that she had to leave the station. This was not an incident that involved Dennis.

Noelle was also hostile to me and contributing producer Robert Knight on numerous occasions. She hung up the phone on me and interfered with my ability to produce quality work for the show. She left a hostile message on my answering machine saying "how dare you" fantasizing that Dennis had instructed me to "interview" KPFA staff about her behavior. Noelle has also offended important guests for Flashpoints.

I was producing for Flashpoints when Dennis had to seek another office in the station due to concerns that she might become physically violent. There is no question she created a hostile workplace through her bullying and disrespect. I directly experienced that. I observed Dennis and Yun attempting to communicate and work with her, but she would not cooperate. For months on end she refused to allow Dennis and Yun access to the Flashpoints computerized database of contact names for the show, since it was installed initially on her computer. The database was created by the team and funded by Friends of Free Speech Radio. Again, numerous memos were written to management demanding that something be done, but no action was taken.

Noelle's antics also included on-air interference with the program which I believe warranted suspension. For example, she announced herself as Senior Producer on the air after explicitly being informed by management that this was not her job title. These incidents are also documented.

The statement in Noelle's recent memo that Dennis wouldn't talk to her for three months is ludicrous. In fact, she would not talk to Dennis. I observed Dennis trying to communicate with her and she would ignore him, if she did not react with hostility. Many times I attempted to talk to Noelle in a friendly manner involving work on the program, or simply to say hello, and she stared at me and refused to answer. This is one of many examples of Noelle making public statements that simply are not true, and can be verified as such.

Noelle makes four false statements about the incident with Aaron Glanz. This is particularly outrageous because she was a witness to it and even put the facts of the event in writing at the time. Dennis did not receive a letter of reprimand. Dennis was not put on probation. Dennis did not punch and hit Aaron. And Dennis did not have to be "dragged off" him, for he was never even on him. As documented by Matt Martin who was also present, Aaron was the aggressor (he slammed the door on Dennis's hand) and he received disciplinary action as a result. Aaron gracefully accepted this, and now he and Dennis work well together. This unfortunate incident stemmed from the incredible pressure that all of us faced due to the battle with Pacifica that was raging at the time.

And why does Noelle think it is important to mention in her memo that she drank some bad water and then got sick? Because she accused Dennis of trying to poison her. She spread this slander around the station and the community. This was so over the edge that it's not even worth commenting on. But it clearly shows how out of touch with reality, and how desperate, Noelle was.

I participated in the mediation process conducted by an outside, professional feminist mediator/therapist. Again, the content of these sessions is confidential, but they made it utterly clear that Noelle was incapable of working as part of this team. After we completed the mediation, Noelle was given every opportunity to come back into the team and work constructively. Instead, she escalated her demanding hostile behavior towards management and others at the station, to the point where Jim Bennett apparently had no choice but to forbid her access to the premises.

Jim was entirely supportive of Noelle throughout the ordeal, allowing her to carry on for months unchecked. The notion that he is somehow complicit in protecting Dennis from her accusations of gender and sexual harassment and thus "retaliated" by banning her are absurd. I have first hand knowledge of Jim's attempts to reason with Noelle when her response was to raise her voice, slam the door and storm out of his office.

Noelle's statement "Noelle Hanrahan has been physically harmed, publicly defamed, and suffered extreme, daily and horrific abuse at the station" really describes what happened to Dennis, not Noelle - except that no one was physically harmed. Noelle has publicly defamed Dennis and no one from KPFA has publicly defamed Noelle, to my knowledge. She abused her team horribly on a daily basis, and not the other way around.

I am saddened that Noelle has gone so far as to attempt legal action. I am also disturbed that I need to make a public statement about her, which I don't like doing. I hope that Noelle does not continue to put the KPFA community (and now Houston as well) through hell. Noelle should understand the important mission of Flashpoints and Pacifica during these horrific times. No one should have to expend energy on this for one more day.

Leslie Kean