 DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- A television photographer who was fired for urinating in a cemetery while covering the funeral of an Iowa soldier was denied unemployment benefits. Gerry Edwards, of Center Point, was dismissed in December by KGAN-TV in Cedar Rapids. In November, Edwards urinated near a monument at a cemetery while he was there covering the funeral procession for 23-year-old Sgt. James Musack, of Riverside, who was killed in Iraq, court records said. Another journalist photographed the incident, and it was e-mailed to Edwards' managers. Records said officials escorted Edwards out of the building within hours and gave him a choice of resigning or being fired.| Good for you, KGAN. Well done. |
The administrative law judge who heard Edwards' appeal for unemployment benefits said the act of urinating at the cemetery was disrespectful, unprofessional and offensive.| And good for you, Your Honor. |
Edwards testified at a recent hearing that he was unable to leave the cemetery to urinate for fear of missing the funeral procession. "I was leaned on to get that shot," Edwards testified.| Now I s'pose it's all Bush's fault anyway, with yet another brave young reporter speaking Truth to Power, martyred by the rethuglican war machine. |
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