Press Release
Thursday, October 18, 2007, 8:44 am Eastern Time
The DC Examiner has published an article today quoting Barbara DiGiovanni and giving a detailed report of the infamous incident which occurred at a Marriott hotel last July involving the suppression of free speech rights of members of the Deaf Bilingual Coalition. The Marriott Corporation failed to mention in their response that the police advised Barbara DiGiovanni that a civil suit was one option she could pursue.
Click on this link to download a PDF version of the full newspaper page and newspaper clipping:
Here is the article from today's "Yeas & Nays" column in the DC Examiner:
Jeff Dufour and Patrick Gavin cover people, power and politics in the beltway. Want to comment? Got a juicy tip? Send an email to dish the dirt, chew the fat and wag the tongue
Yeas & Nays
Some say new W.H. housekeeper has dirty laundry of her own
October 18, 2007, 1:49 AM
A LITTLE STAIN
by Jeff Dufour and Patrick Gavin
Congratulations are in store for Jenny Botero, who's leaving her
position as Marriott International's head of cleaning operations to
become the White House's new executive housekeeper. The move was first
reported in Wednesday's Washington Post.
But one group isn't too impressed with the White House's hiring of Botero: The Deaf Bilingual Coalition, which "promotes the basic human right of all deaf infants and young children to have access to language and cognitive development through American Sign Language."
In July, the coalition headed to the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington to distribute fliers criticizing the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Convention, which was taking place inside (the DBC stresses American Sign Language as a primary form of communication, whereas the AGB Association does not).
The coalition later described its take on events on its blog: "AG Bell convention site coordinator/manager Botero snatched the fliers from Brianna DiGiovanni, Barbara DiGiovanni's 8-year-old deaf daughter, and in the process, harmed her. Brianna had scratches on her hand where the AG Bell coordinator/manager snatched the fliers from. ... Brianna was briefly traumatized by this unprovoked assault. AG Bell coordinator/manager Botero then added insult to injury by ripping the fliers in half. Why would anybody do that to a 8-year-old child?" (For the record: Botero was not a coordinator of the event, but simply a resident manager of the Crystal Gateway Marriott at the time.)
The video of the confrontation does not include footage of Botero with Brianna or ripping up fliers, but it does show Botero approaching protester Raychelle Harris outside the hotel and attempting to snatch Harris' fliers before storming away. Harris later wrote on the DBC's blog, "I mean, she might approach hearing protesters and talk to them. But would she actually grab onto fliers in an attempt to
confiscate them?"
The 8-year-old child also wrote that she was "shocked," "scared" and physically "hurt" by Botero's treatment of her. Upon hearing the news of Botero's new White House gig, Brianna's mother, Barbara, told Yeas & Nays that she didn't think Botero was "competent enough to be employed at the White House because of her historic action of suppressing our freedom of speech."
But Marriott stands by its gal. "We're very aware of that incident," a representative said. "Jenny Botero certainly did not harm anyone at all, and police authorities involved decided no action was required."
The White House told us that, as a standard policy, it does not comment on personnel issues.
LINK TO ARTICLE (Click on link, then scroll down to make comments):
Thursday, October 18, 2007
DC Examiner Published a Report on Jenny Botero
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3 comments:
It's bad enough to see Marriott Corporation unremorseful for the actions of its employee, but to state falsely that nobody was harmed is egregious. Brianna was harmed, both physically and psychologically. Heck, if I was in her shoes at the age of 8, I would have been terrified by a woman whose anger was out of control and hurt me.
I don't quite agree with the White House that they thought that as a standard policy, it doesn't comment on personnel issues. I still don't like the idea that she WORKS in the White House...She harmed the child...It's not right! It has to be a big personal thing that they should concern about ...if they wouldn't mind to hire someone who is a child molester??? Is it going to be the same thing as the standard policy, won't it be concerned on the personnel issues as a child-molesting, a child-harming, a child abusing, etc....Maybe this issue is a very small issue (a child-harming) to the White House?
Just leave Jenny Botero alone for now and when the new President settles in we can have this creature removed or else it says much about the President.
Simple? No but Jenny is a bitch and life goes on.
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