TRI-TOWN CABLE TAPINGS UNDER FIRE

HOPKINTON - Charges of improper conduct by a Cox Communications
employee at a Hopkinton Town Council meeting have been leveled by
Chariho School Committee Chairwoman Stephanie Brown.

Brown, of Hopkinton, sent a letter on March 7 to Elizabeth Dias of
Cox Communications voicing her displeasure with Daniel Davidson, a
regional coordinator at the Westerly office who also serves as a
cameraman recording municipal meetings.

"As Chairperson of the Chariho School Committee, I was in attendance
at the Hopkinton Town Council meeting (March 6). As I was exiting the
Hopkinton Town Hall, I passed Mr. Davidson where he was situated with
his camera," she wrote. "He stopped me, handed me a copy of the Bill
of Rights, told me that he had been handing them out earlier in the
night and that I 'needed to learn the Fourth Amendment.' I responded
to him that if he in fact understood the law, he would know what he
was talking about."

Davidson couldn't be reached for comment by press time.

Brown wrote in the letter, which was obtained by The Sun, that she
felt Davidson was not being professional.

"While it is my understanding that Mr. Davidson is a (Hopkinton)
resident, it is my opinion that when he is filming a meeting, be it
town or school board, he is doing so as a representative of Cox
Communications, and should be doing so in a professional manner. In
the past, I have witnessed his eye-rolling and condescending
gestures, but after this most recent incident, I will no longer
excuse his behavior."

Davidson, who in fact resides in Richmond, routinely films town
meetings throughout the area, including Chariho School Committee
meetings and the recent District Financial Meeting in which School
Committee member William Day was heard criticizing the district's
hiring practices on television. Administration and Finance Director
Brian Stanley, who was apparently joking, also made remarks that he
paid off a former school official for employment. While most of the
meeting was inaudible, their conversation was notably clear on the
public access videotape, which Brown cites in another complaint to
the company on March 13.

In her March 13 letter, she writes that, while turning on public
access at 2 a.m., she "saw two 'announcements' that addressed
children to 'know their Fourth Amendment Rights,' and case law
regarding same."

"There was no disclaimer as to any group claiming responsibility for
sponsoring such a message," she wrote. "In my mind, this can only be
the work of your employee, Mr. Davidson. Clearly, Mr. Davidson has a
personal agenda with our pending drug-search issue. I do not know
what his motives are, but the School Committee takes its
responsibility to keep our students safe and in a drug free
environment extremely seriously. I for one, will not be bullied by
Mr. Davidson and his use of his position within Cox Communications
to further his position."

Leigh Ann Woisard, a public affairs representative for Cox
Communications, told The Sun on Thursday the company is taking the
complaint seriously.

"The policy at Cox Communications is not to discuss personnel issues,
but, generally, the company does not take positions on government
issues that don't affect Cox," said Woisard. "Employees are free to
express views on their personal time, however, when attending a
function as a Cox employee, our expectation is that they don't act in
a way that would put Cox in a position on way or the other on an
issue. We're proud to have dedicated staff who care about their community."

Brown did not intimate she wanted any drastic action taken against
Davidson by the company; she also stated that he was "entitled to his
opinion and to voice his opinion" but not while on work time. She
writes that her solution would be to "not allow (Davidson) to film
these local meetings or, in the alternative, direct him to do so in a
professional manner."

In response, John Wolfe, vice president of public and government
affairs for the company, wrote to Brown on Thursday echoing his
colleague's comments.

"Cox Communications does not take positions on local political issues
that do not directly affect the company," he wrote in part of his
letter. "We have re-communicated these expectations to the employee
you reference in your e-mail, and my expectation is that the issues
you cite will not occur in the future."

Maenwhile, Marilyn Sheldon, the host of the public access show
"Justice..." that airs on Channel 18, also claims unacceptable
conduct by Davidson. She said in a phone interview this week that
"municipal tapes he's made are not completed to the end," and charged
that Davidson "edits tapes and leaves content out." During the March
6 Town Council meeting in Hopkinton, Sheldon stood up and addressed
the council and the audience with comments, and Davidson told her to
"please address the council."

She also claimed "he placed an image of a snake ready to strike with
(the words) 'Don't Tread on Me' underneath. That's a threat." That
symbol, called the Gadsden Flag, was the first flag of the Marines
for the Continental Navy during the Revolutionary War, according to
usflag.org.

Woisard said she couldn't comment on any punitive action by Cox or
about Sheldon's comments "because I don't know where her comments are
stemming from."