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."
No, Denise. You ruined your own life because you got caught violating the rules. Move on.
Is there a defense attorney in the house?
Ms Kemal, what part of ZERO did you not understand........
POWAY ---- A former Poway city employee is under investigation for allegedly molesting several boys he was hired to baby-sit, authorities said Wednesday.
Richard Milton Knapp, 61, is under investigation for "alleged inappropriate activity around boys," said sheriff's Detective Jim Nares, who declined to discuss details.
On June 13, Knapp was arrested and booked at the George Bailey Detention Facility on three counts of oral copulation with a child under 14 and three counts of continuous child sex abuse, according to records. He was held in lieu of $650,000 bond.
Knapp had worked at the Poway Community Pool as a park attendant, according to Jim Bentz, the city's community services manager. It was unclear how long Knapp had been an employee. Park attendants, Bentz said, work the cash register, answer phones and greet the public.
Knapp was released from custody on June 19, records show, but authorities have not given a reason.
A telephone call to Knapp was not returned.
Suzanne, the mother of two Poway boys Knapp is suspected of molesting, said she "was devastated and in shock."
"I didn't want to do anything physical to him, but I just had questions for him as to why," she said Tuesday.
Suzanne, a telecommunications executive who did not wish to use her last name, said Knapp allegedly molested her two boys, ages 10 and 12. Nares would not discuss information about the victims, which Suzanne claims included two other boys, ages 12 and 13.
Suzanne said she hired Knapp to baby-sit her three children, which includes an 8-year-old boy, while she was working.
Knapp, she said, was paid between $50 to $100 a week to baby-sit her children for two hours a day, five days a week after school.
Contact staff writer Kenneth Ma at (760) 740-3524 or kma@nctimes.com
Member of the Mile High club - in more ways than one.
What an intriguing statement! More than just a moaner's whine, which it is.
I'd read it to say that Kemal knows more than has been admitted. "It's" -- what is it's? Not the trial -- the trial, a focus point would be said differently I think. The more general, less specific, "it's" implies a conspiracy, as does the "everyone's" that follows.
And who is "he"? Linke Clinton's "that woman", it is a bit of self-psychological subconscious redirection. Not "Westerfield", but some "he". Someone -- a he -- who has fouled up the conspriracy. Damon?
snicker
Looks to me like that's what she was doing...LOL!!!
ROFLOL !!!
Poor Denisee-poo !!! I'm just heartbroken that her sleazy life came back to bite her in a way she never dreamed it could.
Imagine the predicament we would face if the government required piss tests before they would issue CCW permits or drivers licensees? Hell a lot of us would not be able to legally drive to the range with our gun.
She doesn't get it - if she had been at home where she belonged that night she would still have a job.
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