Herald’s headline was total overkill

How could The Herald have the audacity to put the word “spy” in the headline of its front-page article Sunday on the well-worn subject of the actions of highly insubordinate teacher Kay Powers? (“School spy cam probe veiled in secrecy.”)

The word “spy” implies some clandestine, sinister and generally illegal act of observation of something or somebody. As we all know, that was not the case here at all. Please note that the article’s writers used the word “surveillance” and not “spy” in the body of the article.

I have read every Herald article on this matter and even your pro-union writers have reluctantly made it clear that No. 1, the superintendent’s office did not use “audio surveillance,” which is illegal under state law and No. 2, the superintendent’s office did use “visual surveillance,” which is legal under state law.

So what is going on here? Powers was as guilty as sin continuously for over a year and the district simply wanted to back up its already proven case by catching her on camera in the act, a perfectly legal proceeding. Tens of thousands of businesses worldwide use a legal video camera in the same way — to catch thieves and violators of company rules.

So go ahead, Herald, continue to make a big deal out of and be critical of the unnecessary but union-forced investigation of the whole matter by the district and praise the union for backing a dead horse. But at the same time, The Herald should recognize the error of its ways and print an apology for allowing the use of the misleading and totally inappropriate word “spy.”

MERLIN “BOODY” GILBERTSON

Lake Stevens