Posted on 07/12/2002 7:06:01 AM PDT by MizSterious
By Kristen Green
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
July 12, 2002
Denise Kemal was fired June 28, more than two weeks after her nationally televised testimony, because the company has a zero-tolerance drug policy.
Losing her job has ruined her life, Kemal said yesterday. "I've always wanted to fly," she said. "It took me years to get my job."
She said she is appealing the dismissal because smoking marijuana "wasn't an everyday thing." While she waits for an answer, Kemal, 28 and recently divorced, watches the Westerfield trial from the couch of her new Florida apartment.
Kemal was called to the witness stand by the prosecution June 10. She was at the van Dam home Feb. 1, the night 7-year-old Danielle van Dam was last seen, and spent the evening with Brenda van Dam, the girl's mother.
The two had become friendly through their husbands, who both work at Qualcomm. A spokeswoman for Southwest confirmed that Kemal had been fired, but declined to elaborate. She said company policy states that the "illegal use of drugs, narcotics or controlled substances off duty and off company premises is not acceptable and may result in termination because it can affect on-the-job performance and the confidence of our customers in the company's ability to meet its responsibilities."
Kemal said she was just answering questions posed to her during Westerfield's trial because "I want to make sure he gets convicted."
"Because of him, it's just ruined everyone's lives," she said.
Kemal testified that she went out with her Tierrasanta neighbor Barbara Easton and Brenda van Dam to Dad's Cafe & Steakhouse in Poway two Fridays in a row, Jan. 25 and Feb. 1. They were celebrating Kemal's upcoming move to Baltimore, where she had been transferred for work.
The second night out, Feb. 1, she was introduced to Westerfield, whom she has described as "creepy." Westerfield is charged with kidnapping and murdering Danielle. If convicted, he could be sentenced to death.
Kemal said the three women first celebrated her move Jan. 25. Kemal and Easton, who lived in the same apartment complex, shared a bottle of wine before driving to the van Dams, Kemal testified. She said she smoked some marijuana in the van Dams' garage before they left for the bar.
The next week, the three women decided to spend that Friday night partying at Dad's again after Damon van Dam canceled plans to go out of town and agreed to stay home with the couple's three children.
On Feb. 1, they smoked pot in the garage a second time, Kemal testified, and she and Easton shared a beer. Later in the evening, they partied at Dad's, where they ran into Westerfield. At one point in the night, they went to van Dam's sport utility vehicle to smoke marijuana again.
Kemal said her supervisors learned that she had smoked pot because customers mailed newspaper articles about her testimony.
She had never had problems at Southwest before the trial, she said. In fact, she regularly received letters of commendation from airline passengers since she was hired in November 1998.
Once, a Texas couple she had met on a flight sent a box of candy to her home. Kemal, in turn, shipped them a set of candles for their living room.
Kemal said that even after Sept. 11, she didn't have any reservations about flying.
"I did it because it's my job, and I love my job," she said. "I get to travel and meet different people. I like to serve the public."
That must have been when they were having a McDonald's Happy Meal on the way to the desert or maybe when they were talking back and forth in the MH and people heard voices.
I thought it was strange that they wanted the trap & trace records from the 12th but only requested the 'pen register' (calls from that number) starting on the 17th. I'm as curious as everyone else about the call on the 16th.
Denise could have refused to testify, but I guess the effects of smoking pot have dulled her skew of reality, or she thought she was above the law of company and FAA policy. No, there were plenty of people who saw her testimony who most likely said "she's got to go"...
Kim, if the Van Dams CARE anything at all about poor Denise, they should "share" some of their new found wealth with her, don't cha think? They must have alot of money?
sw
Yesterday's or the day before. I was astounded by it.
What find? (Something about the VD opinion of the DW computer contents) Please refresh my memory.
Hmmmmmmmm.......it isn't really far-fetched. BvD and Dvd definitely wanted to include willing people in their romps.
Brenda was very excited to find out Westerfield had "parties". Interesting !!!!!
Kim I rasied 7 kids and every one of them (and all grandkids ) were bed bouncers..We rented a motorhome to drive south many years ago..the kids all jumped on that bed and looked in every nook and cranny...thats what kids do..
Was it one print or was it "prints"
: ( We're not all that way.....honest. LOL !!!
I hunted all over danet yesterday but couldn't find it. Now looks as if FresnoDA has had it all the time.......;)))
WELCOME ABOARD DOOBIE AIRWAYS.....I am your HEAD Flight Attendant, Duh-Knees Thimble..... First of all, I want to tell all of you how special you are to me...in fact, after we are airborne, feel free to visit me in the galley, at the REAR of the plane.Don't feel too sorry for Denise. I'm sure one of Clinton's Left Coast cronies will want to hire her as a Flight Attendant on one of their private Jets. She has all the necessary qualifications to serve them well...yes, she does.
sw
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.