From 2010 - St. Peter in Appleton, Katy Perry, Church and Change

WELS Pastor Ron Ash is the chairman of Church and Change, the WELS version of JesusFirst in Missouri.
Pastor Tim Glende posed with Katy Perry, as Pastor Ski did.
Ski was a board member of Church and Change.

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "St. Peter, Freedom, Wisconsin. Letter to WELS Offi...":

This was an outstanding letter by Rick Techlin Jr. of St. Peter church in Appleton.

It is very good to see a Confessional Lutheran stand against the tide of the New Age false teachers sweeping through the visible Lutheran [self sic] churches.

Is the heinous actions of (W)ELS Pastor Glende, the voters of St. Peter, the lack of action on the part of the individuals addressed in the letter including the so-called conservative synod president that much different than the abject apathy of the majority of (W)ELS laity and clergy? After all they all remain in fellowship with the mini popes of the (W)ELS who perpetrate and allow horrible actions to take place against faithful Lutheran Christians.

***

GJ - Posted below is an exact replica of a letter written by a distraught WELS layman and sent to many WELS officials, one year ago today. All Saints Day. I received the PDF, as many others did. The letter was going to be published in the IL blog, then in the Light from Light blog.

Nothing happened from sending the letter, of course. They always say, "Write a letter." The WELS method is to keep everything a secret so they can call the truth a lie while inventing a convenient version of their truth.

I forgot that I had the letter. While converting an ELCA document into something useful I ran into the St. Peter letter, since both were PDFs and lined up together in my bulging storehouse of information. I found a way to turn the PDFs into PNGs and publish them in order.

Some of the readers will think the main perpetrators are Tim Glende, nephew of Professor Brug at The Sausage Factory, and Pastor Ski, popcorn impressario of The CORE. But that is not true. Their problems with honesty and doctrine began long ago, when WELS teachers made it clear that trickery, threats, and oodles of money were the answer to everything.

The letter shows that Pastor Tim Glende is a plagiarist, a bully, and a thug. He has to copy everything, it seems. He started an imitation Ichabod blog, with a slightly different name, just to fool people into landing on his anonymous effort, which was focused solely on attacking me.

Glende also adopted the nickname I gave him for his vile, cowardly attacks via the comments on this blog. I kept calling him Anony-mouse, so he began another blog which he called Anonymouse. He was even more disgusting on that blog, using my two dead daughters as his ammunition.

He gave himself away when he commented from Appleton. When I narrowed the blogs down to him, the blogging stopped, until he posted again to provide a smokescreen for his classmate at MLS, Aaron Frey. Like Kilcrease, he often deletes his most obnoxious work. But they are easy enough to save and use later, whenever needed.

Pervasive Evil in WELS
No one is going to stop the pervasive evil in WELS until it is addressed directly and openly. Glende and Ski are simply outlying growths in the cancer that has grown unchecked for decades. That cancer has involved the cover-up of two spouses murdered by their church worker husbands, countless cases of abuse and molestation, a District President and vicar in different state prisons, rewarding false doctrine with promotions and job security.

Take Away What They Worship
The WELS leaders worship money rather than God. They despise the Confessions, the liturgy, the Creeds, and Luther's doctrine.

The DPs and national staff get a fortune in pay, housing, and benefits to promote evil and false doctrine. Why not take away what they worship - holy mammon? They have enough to blow on The CORE. Ski and Glende were $250,000 down before it even started.

When will a single DP ever do anything against the crafts and assaults of the Church and Changers? The dopey DP in Milwaukee cannot do anything Lutheran or even WELS, but he can throw out a pastor and congregation for the tagging of a sidewalk, even though the trickster paid damages the next day. Tagging seems to be the only target of discipline in the entire state, where half the members reside and the worst DPs reign.

Their discipline has worked well. No other WELS pastor has tagged a sidewalk since that time. A seminary professor was convicted for drunk driving, which might seem a little more serious, but his lawyer convinced the court later that he was avoiding a band of pet turtles on the road, swerving left and right to save their lives.

Do you think anyone is serious about these letters they receive? Look at the luminaries at the top of the page. I can tell you this - When the Intrepid Lutherans dared to say the Synod Sunday materials were pathetic, there was an uproar that quashed IL in 24 hours.

Yes, 24 hours was all it took to make sure no one questioned Holy Mother Synod. Add that to your list of no-nos, seminarians.

1. Teach any doctrine except Luther's.
   
2. Have an affair with a music director if you want a promotion.
   
3. Murder your wife and make up any old lame story.
   
4. Drive drunk.
   
5. Bully and threaten your members who do what you said they should do in following Matthew 18.
   
6. But DO NOT question anything coming from The Guilt Factory (formery The Love Shack).
   and do not,
   and I mean this,
   DO NOT TAG a sidewalk....ever.
   If you do, may God have mercy on your soul, because WELS will not.
   

The letter and the non-response have shown how effective Church and Change is, in defeating any implication of Lutheran doctrine.
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From the Martin Luther College student Portal:

This week Friday we will be hosting our second Educational Convocation. Because of the recent media coverage nationally, statewide, and locally on Bullying in Our Schools we are changing our presentation topic to that issue. Our WELS schools are not exempt from such behavior and learning to identify and correcting this behavior is vital for our future educators. Our presenter will be Professor Rhoda Wolle from WLC. So plan on attending this all important convocation on Friday, November 5 at 9:35 am in the gymnasium. See you there and bring a friend.

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Too Funny. Gasping for Breath - 
From My Favorite CG Email Spammer:

Should a pastor with an addiction be fired? This is the question that more and more churches are having to deal with these days.  How do you deal with a pastor who has an addiction.  Maybe it's an addiction to alcohol or drugs; maybe it's a sexual addiction like pornography.  The question is... what should be done with a pastor that has an addiction of some kind when it is found out? How about a pickled seminary professor?

Why you probably stink at delegating Great piece over at Lifehacker about delegation.  Why is it so difficult?  And why are most people so sucky at it?  Here are three very simple reasons...

Matt Chandler:  One year after cancer Justin Taylor has a great interview with Matt Chandler over at The Gospel Coalition website.  It's been one year since Matt was diagnosed with a very serious form of brain cancer.

Mark Driscoll on young leaders in the church What is encouraging Mark Driscoll about today's young leaders in the church?  And what concerns him?  Check out this short clip (it's about three minutes long).  Take a look, and see if you agree/disagree.  And where are you on the spectrum that Mark speaks about? Ski? Glende?

Andy Stanleyisms Andy Stanley is one of my favorite communicators.  Here's why:  there is so much content when Andy speaks that are bite-sized nuggets that keep me thinking.  So... I decided to gather some recent Andy Stanley quotes shared on Twitter and share them with you here.  See what you think: Ski, Glende, Parlow, Buske, Buehler? Buehler? Anyone?

Erectile Dysfunction commercial gets woman kicked out of church OK... I know this is sensationalistic... but here's the headline in Australia's Herald Sun newspaper:  The star of an erectile dysfunction commercial has been kicked out of her church until the ad comes off air.

Robert A. Schuller:  If I were still there, it would be a different story How does a church get $43 million in debt?  This ABC news segment attempts to explain how the Crystal Cathedral got into the mess it's in.  It includes an interview with Robert A. Schuller (the son), and Angie Schuller (Robert H. Schuller's granddaughter). Say say say say say say  One key to communication vision is frequency.  Often as leaders, we think if we our people something once... they'll get it.  If we tell them something twice, they'll for sure understand the concept.  And if they aren't acting out the vision after we've told them three times, they must be... Change  Ever wonder why people react to change the way they do?  Seth Godin had a great, very short post today that helped me understand a little more about how and why people react to change. A tearful Robert H. Schuller asks for help  It was an emotional Sunday at the Crystal Cathedral.  84 year old founder Robert H. Schuller, in a tearful address, asked his congregation for help in turning around the church's massive debt that led to last week's declaration for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Four drummers I’d like to see in church  OK... I don't know that I'd really like to see these guys in church; but they would liven up some things, I guess.  Check these guys out.  The first is my all-time favorite.  I've thrown in a classic Bill Cosby bit at the end as a bonus... Thoughts on Crystal Cathedral entering bankruptcy  Much has been said this past week about the Crystal Cathedral entering backruptcy.  Read what some of the press, bloggers, and twitterverse has to say about it... Church:  Jesus does not care  Another day, another church marketing campaign.  This one, by a church in Mansfield, includes a sign that simply says JesusDoesNotCare.com.  It seems that even if Jesus doesn't care... some people in the community do; and they're not taking too kindly to the churches newest sign campaign. One church that handled scandal well and how they did it  When a scandal hits your church, it is the test of all time.  Many churches don't handle bad times well.  In fact, many churches retreat in the face of hard times.  Few handle it well.  But after the worship pastor at Praise Fellowship was charged with 33 sexual felony charges,... Yogatta be kidding me  It's been a bad few weeks for Yoga in the Christian community.  First Al Mohler came out with his stance:  "Christians who practice yoga are embracing, or at minimum flirting with, a spiritual practice that threatens to transform their own spiritual lives into a “post-Christian, spiritually polyglot” reality." How to measure small group effectiveness  So many churches try to have an effective small group ministry and fail.  Groups are tough.  So... how do you measure the effectiveness of your small group ministry?  Alan Danielson has some ideas for you.  In fact, the way you measure your effectiveness is all according to what you're trying... And finally: The Pressure of Being a Pastor: It will make you better or worse a man? Some pastors fake it. Their hearts can’t keep up with all of the God-talk. Eventually what you get is a man who spends his week churning out sermons, leading counseling sessions, discipling others, and evangelizing neighbors by speaking sentence after sentence about the power of the gospel and the goodness of God, but he doesn’t really believe it. Megachurch pastor comes out of the closet... “I know a lot of straight people think it is a choice. It is not”... that according to Jim Swilley, pastor of a large church in Rockdale County, GA.

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WELS Laymen - "If the Synodical Council would read Rick..."

Synodical Council to meet this week

During the first week of November, the Synodical Council (SC) will hold its regular fall meeting and will address several significant items of business.

Long-range plan
A special task force of synod administrators, with input from synodical boards and district conventions last summer, has been developing the synod's long-range plan for the year 2017.

Click here for the letter.

Church and Change Basics from 2013

District VP Don Patterson denied he was Church and Change,
but he went to this conference and gave a presentation at another.
When Changer John Lawrenz wrote on the C and C list-serve,
Patterson cooed, "Pure gold."

Here is the PDF for the 2009 conference. Don't worry. If they remove it, I saved it and can reproduce it as a Word document, PNGs, or both. It is safe to say that most of the speakers are Church and Change Fellow Travelers. A few may be useful idiots. You will hear people deny their connections. If so, why have they worked so hard with these heretics?

Notice the URL for the brochure -

http://www.churchandchange.org/home/2384/2384/file/C&C%20program_color.pdf

As of today, the website is still active and working, but the links are hidden from view. But WELS innocents have been told there is no Church and Change. The appearance is - everything is gone. The reality is just the opposite.

Lookee here - the 2007 Church and Change conference is also preserved. Here is the URL:

http://www.churchandchange.org/home/2384/2384/files/CanCprogram.Web.pdf

I saved that one too.

Ski and Glende excommunicated a member for asking questions about all this. Here he is again.

Leonard Sweet is a New Age Methodist,
but WELS and Missouri devour his Dreck.

Oh! Oh! Here is a question about Leonard Sweet speaking in 2005. I have copied this far down on the page, because someone may de-rez this on the Net.

WELS Church and Change, Purpose

Church and Change is a growing group of WELS Christians who desire to think and work like the Apostle Paul who said, "I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some."  The Church and Change group is interested in practicing and promoting innovation in ministry methods throughout the WELS especially at the "grass roots" level.

Some in WELS live and breathe music.  Some history.  Some church libraries, or mission festivals, or prison ministry, or limiting abortion.  Good! God uses all effort by his people to his glory.  Church and Change is group of committed WELS Christians who live and breathe innovation in ministry across all spectrums.  Church and Change folk are committed to Lutheran Theology as explained in the Lutheran Confessions.  However, they are thinking about, working with, and pioneering different ways to reach more people, more often, with the gospel so the Holy Spirit can do His thing.  [GJ - Just one question. What moron wrote this paragraph?]

Innovation in methodology is yesterday's news in the WELS.  Pastors, teachers, synod administrators, worker training leaders, home and world missionaries, worship leaders, computer buffs, and countless local laymen and laywomen, have been tweaking (and/or radically changing) ministry methods for years.  In every WELS generation God has raised up men and women, for reasons known only to Him, who are interested in pushing the envelope of "gospel delivery systems."  And this, long before concepts like "English" or "radio ministry" or "Parish Assistance," or "paradigm" or "long distance learning" entered WELS thinking or culture.

The goal of Church and Change is to provide a gathering point, a "home room" for WELS innovators.  Perhaps this is the same need felt by the WELS Church Librarians which led them to gather for support, encouragement, and well -- good old fashioned fellowship - one of the greatest assets in the WELS.  Do WELS administrators and WELS laypeople know about each other's efforts at innovation? The purpose of Church and Change includes inviting WELS innovators to communicate with one another, and work together where possible to avoid duplication of effort which wastes God's resources.

The world is changing rapidly.  Who are the innovators of today who will help us "make the leap from German to English" in this generation?  Hopefully, Church and Change can encourage the process of helping WELS ministries keep pace with our rapidly changing culture in America, and around the shrinking globe.

If you are currently serving as an innovator in your WELS ministry, please join us.  Encourage us.  Pray for us.  Let us know what you are learning these days.  We will happily do the same for you.

The Secret History of Church and Change: No Names Given


In 1995, a group of about 10-12 men [GJ - who?] gathered at Wisconsin Lutheran College to discuss current methods of sharing Jesus which were commonly being used in the WELS at that time.  Many at the first meeting felt that those methods of sharing Jesus were not “keeping up with” the rate of change in society.  The message of the Bible was not, therefore, penetrating society very well. [GJ - Cuz the Word cannot do it without Schwaermer help.]

John Parlow, Willow Creek Ministerium member,
attended Drive 08's Babtist Worship conference,
with Ski, Glende, Jim Buske - 8 WELS workers in all.

"Dr?" Steve Witte - Gordon Conwell quickie degree, so
he could be president of the Asian porta-seminary.

 In 1998 two men [GJ - who?] who had attended the first meeting planned a Church and Change conference in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  The next year there was a second conference in Green Bay.  About 20 people attended each year. [GJ - Witte and Parlow, doubtless, the rotten apples in Appleton]



In May 2001, WELS Parish Services applied for and received a Forward in Christ grant to conduct a three-year pilot program to address the issues surfaced by the previous two Church and Change conferences.  The three-year pilot program was designed to be a grassroots gathering of individuals who were pioneering new innovative methods of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with a changing culture. [GJ - You suckers paid to get Church and Change going, so they could network for synod, Thrivent, and foundation grants.]

Three annual conferences were planned and held beginning in 2001.  At the first conference, approximately 50 WELS members attended.  The attendance grew to 150 in the second year and 180 in the third year.  By the third year, the attendees included more than just individuals who were actively pioneering new and innovative methods for sharing Jesus.  Many in attendance wanted to learn about how to better share the gospel with the changing culture in which they served.  In addition to the three annual conferences a variety of other workshops and gatherings were held dealing with specific ministry issues such as leadership, worship, and women’s ministry.

At the final conference of the three-year pilot, held in November 2003, the conference participants enthusiastically encouraged the organizers to continue Church and Change.  A steering committee was subsequently formed from among the participants to address the future direction of Church and Change.

From November 2003 until the present the steering committee has met and drafted a proposal that addresses the future of Church and Change. 

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Ron Ash, Katy Perry, and Tim Glende
are transforming the world with their new methods.

Church and Change Board of Directors - Ski bailed out officially, but was on the board earlier. Bruce Becker was on the board but left officially when this blog uncovered his dual role as head of WELS Parish Services/Church and Change board member. Chairman Ron Ash just happened to be followed at St. Peter's Freedom by Changers Glende and Ski.

Pastor Ron Ash	Chairman
Jeff Davis	Vice Chairman
Barry Spencer	Treasurer
Sarah Owens	Secretary
Pastor John Huebner
Brian Arthur Lampe

 

Jeff Davis will help talk your congregation into a ruinous building program,
which he will help fund with law-motivated guilt giving.
Asking about his huge fees will getcha excommunicated at Holy Word, Austin Texas.

GJ - Note how Jeske-centric this board is, with three staff members from St. Marcus - 1. Ski (formerly, taking Bishop Katie, also at St. Marcus, up to Appleton with him), 2. Barry Spencer, and 3. Brian Arthur Lampe, who is a self-appointed pastor with his own ministry business.

The board is also Appleton-based, with Ron Ash (formerly at St. Peter, Freedom) as chairman, Witte and Parlow as founders.

Tracing members and moolah is a good way to see where the power and influence are. At Willowcreek's Liberal College, three members of the board are from a non-WELS congregation - CrossWalk, Luveen, Arizona (Jeff Gunn, Church and Changer). When I published that fact, WLC changed it list of board members to hide parish affiliation. I never heard of a college having three members from the same church running the place.

DP Buchholz will someday discipline Jeff Gunn and kick CrossWalk out of WELS before it actually joins WELS. It part of a 30-year plan. Right now they are on double secret probation.

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Bailing Water has plenty of information about what has been going on.

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Paul Calvin Kelm refused to answer his own fellow clergy
when they objected to the Leonard Sweet conference.
Likewise, Ski and Glende block email from anyone who fails to genuflect to them.
"Write a letter," SP Schroeder says.
Ski and Glende worked for.....?
Mark Jeske.

WELS Q and A

CSC: WELS Topical Q&A: The Church and Its Ministry: Music/Worship: Church and Change conference

Most Recently Posted Ask a Question
Q:	I recently was sent this copy and I am wondering if this is a WELS sponsered event. I found it a little strange to say the least, especially in some of the noted items such as "Insightful interviews with former WELS members" and the keynote speaker being Leonard Sweet. I know I received a brochure for the WELS Worhip Conference in MN this summer, so I'm wondering what this is, and what is the "Church and Change Steering Committee?" Is there a link on the synod website for the listserv this brochure speaks of?Here is the copy: 2005 Church and Change Conference November 9-11 Madison, Wisconsin The 2005 Church and Change Conference will challenge, inspire, and encourage you as a Christian and as a leader of Christians. But then, when several hundred creative WELS pacesetters gather around God's Word and share their ideas, that's what we expect would happen. We are excited to announce that world-class Christian researcher and communicator Dr. Leonard Sweet will be the keynote speaker for this year's conference. He will address the general session all day on Thursday, November 10. More information about Dr. Sweet can be found at http://www.leonardsweet.com/biocv.html In addition to Dr. Sweet, we are putting together 15-18 workshops that will cover subjects such as: * New approaches to children's and youth ministry. * Starting a contemporary worship service. * New and effective approaches to apologetics (defending what we believe). * Insightful interviews with former WELS members. * Women's ministries. * Small groups. * Preaching in today's world. * And much more... The conference steering committee is interested in hearing about workshop topics you feel are beneficial for this year's conference. Please share your suggestions with Barry Spencer at spebar@tds.net. New to this year's conference will be a Church and Change Exhibit Hall. This room will feature the latest in ministry resources! This conference is for innovative Christian leaders like yourself. Please keep it in your prayers! Mark your calendar now! Invite your friends. And stay tuned to our Church and Change listserv for information updates in the coming weeks and months.
A:	The Church and Change conference is put on by leaders of a number of WELS congregations, but it is not sponsored by WELS. Church and Change people have, however, reported to our Conference of Presidents in regard to their activities and WELS does send one of its administrators to attend the conference. The Conference of Presidents has in the past urged discretion on the part of all WELS affiliated organizations who use speakers from outside our doctrinal fellowship. We do not have a web link to connect you to information on the speaker. --- Bailing Water discussion on Church and Change, plagiarism. Waves of Nausea In the right synod, it is transformational, and good for the resume.

Tomorrow Is St. Peter in Freedom's Big Chance To Bully Another Person into Silence. Why Not Just Another Secret Excommunication?Passivity of District Pastors and Members

Friday, August 30th marks the day when four restraining orders in a row will be acted on - all from St. Peter (WELS) in Freedom, Wisconsin.

The previous pastor, Ron Ash, was chairman of Church and Change, the false doctrine lobby in WELS. Ski, who was booted for sexual harassment and drinking on the job, was on the board of Church and Change - until I published the list of board members.

The four restraining orders are against one man - the husband of the woman Ski targeted for his uncouth, boozy, and obscene comments - not to mention the famous Brett Favre nude photo he had her view as a prank.

Glende and Ski are bullies who need to have a dozen people on their side so they can silence one person. They arranged with DP Engelbrecht and the parish buddies to silence Rick Techlin for correctly identifying both pastors as lying plagiarists.

Write a letter? Meet with them? I know from many contacts that many people wrote and contacted Glende/Ski about their ministry of Groeschel copying and Stanley aping. All comments were brushed aside and emails were blocked, unanswered.

They cowardly staff of St. Peter in Freedom are afraid of the legal consequences of their failure to supervise Ski, a subordinate of Glende - so St. Peter, the Anything Goes District, and WELS are all liable for his behavior.

Here are some guidelines:

Harassment in the Work Place

Equal Rights Publication ERD-7334-PWEB

PDF versions of this publication. Follow this link to obtain the Free PDF Reader.

• In English
• In Spanish

Note:
The links (bookmarks) in the Table of Contents take you to that section in this Publication.
The links in the Text take you to either a page in our website, a section in the Wisconsin Statutes or a section in the Wisconsin Administrative Code.

Table of contents

• 1. What is the Legal Definition?
• 2. When is conduct unwelcome?
• 3. What forms does sexual harassment take?
• 4. Important Facts about Harassment
• 5. How can management respond to harassment concerns?
• 6. Who is liable for harassment?
• 7. What are the Consequences?
• 8. When in doubt about Sexual Harassment!!
• Questions about employment discrimination.

1. What is the Legal Definition?

Under the Fair Employment Law harassment in the workplace may be illegal under two circumstances. The first is when an employer, supervisor or co-worker singles a person out for harassment because of that person’s race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, age (40 and up), disability, sex, arrest or conviction record, marital status, sexual orientation or military services. The second situation is when thecontent of the harassment itself relates directly to any of these protected characteristics (i.e. sexual harassment, use of derogatory ethnic or religious terms, age or disability related comments, etc.)

It is important to note that the Fair Employment Law only prohibits harassment in the circumstances described above. There is no general prohibition against harassment. An employer who harasses an employee because of a personal dislike, for example, or who harasses employees in general is not violating the Fair Employment Law, no matter how abusive or hostile the environment might be.

Harassment may include verbal abuse, epithets, sexually explicit or derogatory language, display of offensive cartoons or materials, mimicry, lewd or offensive gestures and telling of jokes offensive to the above protected class members. The behavior must be more than a few isolated incidents or casual comments. It involves a pattern of abusive and degrading conduct directed against a person because of his or her protected class that is sufficient to interfere with work or creates an offensive and hostile work environment.

“Sexual” harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

• Engaging in such conduct is made an implicit or explicit term or condition of employment. Example: A newly hired machine operator is told sexual jokes, touching and display of nude posters are just part of factory life and she should try to ignore it.
• Acceptance or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for an employment decision affecting an employee. Example: A manager tells a worker applying for a promotion that the job would be his if he just “treated her right.”
• The conduct interferes with an employee's work or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment. Example: One worker experiences repeated advances from another asking her for dates or “just to go out for drinks after work.” The worker says she isn’t interested, but the co-worker won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.

2. When is conduct unwelcome?

Conduct is unwelcome when an employee does not solicit or invite it and when the employee regards the conduct as undesirable or offensive. Since sexual attraction is a normal factor in employee interactions, the distinction between advances that are invited, uninvited-but-welcome, offensive-but-tolerated and flatly rejected may be difficult to discern. This distinction is important because conduct is unlawful when it is unwelcome.

It is important to note that harassment is in the eye of the beholder”. What might be acceptable to one worker might be offensive and unwelcome to another. The U.S. Supreme Court has adopted the “reasonable person” standard in determining if conduct is harassing.

3. What forms does sexual harassment take?

In practical terms, there are two forms of sexual harassment.

Quid Pro Quo (‘this for that’): When employment decisions or expectations (e.g. hiring, promotions, salary increases, shift or work assignments, and performance standards) are based on an employee's willingness to grant or deny sexual favors. Examples of quid pro quo harassment include:

• Demanding sexual favors for a promotion or raise.
• Disciplining or firing a subordinate who ends a romance.
• Changing work standards after a subordinate refuses repeated requests for a date.

Hostile Environment: A work environment is “hostile” when unwelcome verbal, non-verbal or physical behavior focusing on sexuality is severe and pervasive enough to interfere with the victim’s work performance or be intimidating or offensive to a reasonable person.

Examples of behaviors that can create a hostile environment:

Verbal

• Sexual jokes or insults
• Comments about a person’s body or sex life
• Sexually demeaning comments

Non-Verbal

• Making gestures or staring
• Display of sexually suggestive or degrading materials
• Giving sexually suggestive “gifts”.

Physical

• Touching, hugging, kissing or patting
• Brushing against a person’s body
• Blocking a person’s movement

4. Important Facts about Harassment

• Sexual harassment often occurs when there is a disparity of power, not just when men and women women together.
• A person who consents to a supervisor’s sexual advances might still be a victim of sexual harassment.
• A member of one sex can sexually harass a member of the same sex even if there is no romantic motive for the harassment.
• “Horseplay” can constitute sexual harassment if the actions are explicitly sexual in nature.
• Offenders can be supervisors, co-workers, or non-employees such as vendors, customers, or suppliers.
• The victim does not have to be directly involved. A third person can be offended by harassing behavior among willing participants.
• Harassment does not have to be reported or complained about by the victim to be defined as harassment.
• An employer can set stricter limits on harassment in the workplace (such as prohibiting all harassment) than may be specified under fair employment laws.
• Unless severe, a single incident or a few isolated incidents of offensive behavior will not likely rise to the level of harassment.
• A single incident of unwanted touching of a person’s intimate body areas is sufficiently offensive to be defined as sexual harassment.  It may also constitute a criminal offense under state “sexual assault” laws.
• Abusive, hostile, or rude treatment of one sex (as opposed to mistreatment of all employees) may still constitute harassment, despite the absence of overt sexual behavior.

5. How can management respond to harassment concerns?

• Implement a strong policy explicitly prohibiting harassment, including a description of disciplinary consequences that will be applied.
• Provide training to educate employees on the issue of harassment and periodically remind them of your strong desire to maintain a harassment free workplace.
• Have multiple avenues in place for making an internal complaint and regularly inform employees about the complaint process.   A “victim-friendly” complaint procedure encourages employees to come forward, is sensitive to their situation, stresses the need for confidentiality and ensures that retaliation will not occur, whatever the investigation outcome is.
• Ensure that every complaint is taken seriously. It is essential that the employer act in a timely manner. Commence an investigation immediately and take appropriate corrective action as soon as possible.
• Avoid making credibility judgments or reaching conclusions before you have gathered the facts, even if you think you “know” the parties involved and have an “idea” about what happened.
• Keep in mind that there is a wide range of sensitivity toward harassing behavior. Remember, the “eye of the beholder” is what important, not is what you or other co-workers might find personally offensive. And be aware that it is not just young, “attractive” females who are sexually harassed.
• Keep lines of communication open.  Make sure the complaining employee is informed of your efforts to correct any harassing behavior (including information about the consequences to the harasser) and of your desire to be promptly notified if problems persist or if retaliation occurs.
• Realize that as a supervisor or owner you are “at risk” anytime you have an intimate relationship with a subordinate, even though you present relationship is not harassing and may not affect employment decisions. Policies that regulate social contact between supervisors and subordinates, including requirements that such contact be divulged by supervisors, are within an employer’s rights under the Fair Employment Law.

6. Who is liable for harassment?

How an employer addresses harassment with its employees is likely to be the single most critical issue in determining liability in legal actions.

An employer is responsible for its own acts and those of its agents regardless of whether the acts were authorized or even forbidden by the employer and regardless of whether the employer knew or should have known of those acts.

An employer is responsible for harassment between co-workers, if the employer or its agents knew or should have known of the conduct and failed to take immediate and appropriate corrective action.

An employer is responsible when non-employees such as customers or suppliers harass its employee's) during the workday, where the employer or its agents knew or should have known of the conduct and failed to take immediate and appropriate action.

7. What are the Consequences?

Lost Work Time:Harassment is very disruptive of production.
It can seriously affect victim/employee morale.
It may increase absenteeism and turnover.

Reputation:An owner’s or company’s community reputation may suffer.

Damages:A victim’s back pay; attorney fees and costs may be substantial.
Compensatory and punitive damages under federal law may dramatically increase dollar damages.
Other laws, such as state sexual assault statutes, may result in criminal charges.

8. When in doubt about Sexual Harassment!!

Often, an employee or supervisor may not be sure if a particular behavior or interaction is appropriate. The following “not sure” tests might be helpful.

Ask yourself:

• Would you say or do it in front of your boss, grandparent or a stranger?
• How would you feel if your family or close friends were subjected to the same words or behavior?
• Would you say or do it to a colleague who is the same sex as you?

This is one of a series of fact sheets highlighting programs of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. It is intended to provide only a general description, not a legal interpretation.

The Equal Rights Division has additional informational materials explaining various aspects of the fair employment law.

PAMPHLET SERIES

1. FAIR HIRING & AVOIDING LOADED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS.
2. HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE.
3. PREGNANCY EMPLOYMENT & THE LAW.
4. PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ON THE JOB.
5. FAIR EMPLOYMENT LAW & COMPLAINT PROCESS.
6. AGE DISCRIMINATION IN THE WORKPLACE.
7. SETTLEMENT.
8. RACE, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN & ANCESTRY.
9. SEXUAL ORIENTATION PROTECTION.

The Department of Workforce Development is an equal opportunity service provider. If you need assistance to access services or need material in an alternate format, please contact us. Deaf, hearing or speech-impaired callers may reach us in Madison at (608) 264-8752 or in Milwaukee at (414) 227-4081.

Questions about employment discrimination should be directed to:

EQUAL RIGHTS DIVISION

201 E WASHINGTON AVE ROOM A300
PO BOX 8928
MADISON WI 53708

(608) 266-6860
TTY (608)264-8752

Or

819 N 6th St
Room 723
MILWAUKEE WI 53203

(414) 227-4384
TTY (414) 227-4081

Four from St. Peter in Freedom are suing the husband of Ski's victim, hauling him to court to silence him.

Ski will return to The CORE as the pastor, as DP Engelbrecht promised and SP Schroeder agreed.

Ski's Scrotum Sermon - Which They Were Proud To Post.

All St. Peter Freedom (which includes The CORE) posts labeled on Ichabod.

DP Engelbrecht's email supports Ski's CRM status, implying a return to The CORE.

August 13th meeting - this was held to get Ski's CRM status going.

Budget for St. Peter is $1.4 million, so why did they get a $500,000 plus grant to buy a bar?

Remove the 12 WELS Apostates - Starting with Deputy Doug Engelbrecht

DP Engelbrecht Approved Plagiarism of False Doctrine

All posts labeled The CORE

Ski - so bad, he was canned twice. This is the second, official canning, April of 2013.

Bishop Katie cannot spell either, not even on her own web page.

DP Engelbrecht had two different stories about Ski leaving.

Church and Change.

All posts labeled Church and Change.

All posts labeled Tim Glende.

All posts labeled Fox Valley WELS.

Intrepids on Time of Grace.

Glende, Ski, and Engelbrecht kicked out Rick Techlin - for being correct about plagiarism of  false doctrine, and Glende lied about his plagiarism.

Meeting with the DP's sock puppets.