Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 12

A12E Casper Star-Tribune Sunday, May 2, 2010 CANDIDATES GOP: Challenger Hill sharply criticizes McBride The delegates also worked on a party platform for this year's election at the convention, which is held every two years. ADAMS HILL McBride, Hill and candidate Ted Adams addressed the Wyorning Republican Convention on Saturday in Sheridan. It appears likely that the Republican winner of the Aug. 17 primary election will face Democrat Mike Massie of Laramie. its citizens and not the federal bureaucracy," Adarus said.

"That's one of the things I believe is fairly clear; the states have the responsibility for education. The state of Wyoming has wisely delegated that responsibility to local school districts." McBride announced Saturday that Wyoming won't apply for federal funding in the second round of the "Race to the Top" competition. The state this springfailedtomakeitpast the first round of the competition, in which the U.S. Department of Education is handing out $4 .35 billion in school reform grants. McBride said he chose not to apply for the second round of the funding because the federal program would require the state to give up too much control.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's web site, it has asked states participating in the program to adopt standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global economy. It would also gather information about students to inform teachers and principals about how they can improve Continued from Al House Speaker Colin Simpson said Wyoming's governor needs to protect states' rights and fight the feds on issues such as pub -lie access land. "The governor has to stand very strong against federal efforts, because those federal efforts are continually trying to take away our rights to either produce energy and recreate on those lands," Simpson said. "And that is not right we have to be vigilant every day to protect them." Former U.S.

Attorney Matt Mead said there has been a political "awakening" across Wyoming and the nationabout the growing power of the federal government. "We are motivated, and we can start here, today, to push back against Obama's plan for bigger government," Mead said. Inhis speech, former legislator and state Department of Agriculture director Ron Micheli answered those who would say gubernatorial candidates should spend more time worrying about state issues than fighting the federal government. "Youandlknowthatthe economy of the state of Wyoming is directly tied to RAY: 'The rumors were there. She put an end to the rumors.

She gave us proof McBRIDE MASSIE year state budget cycle had 106 staff members. She said that's now increased to 153 staff members, with associated increases in spending. Adams, who said he's been a teacher for 39 years around Wyoming and in other states, spent much of his allotted time holdingup a family picture and discussing where his children went to high school and college and where they're working. "Iwillworktohelpmake Wyoming's pre-K educational system work for Wyoming, its children and Gibson saw her daughter's decline up close. "Itwashorrible," Gibson said.

"She went from euphoria when she started in March tobeing decimated." Although Gibson encouraged her daughter to document the problems at the coroner's office, she also felt the pain, she said. "It was tough for me, for amother," she said. "It's very difficult to watch your child dothiswhenyoutoldherto do the right thing." Ray said she believed the county would protect her because she voiced her concerns and because of her performance. "I was told I was doing a really goodjob." The firing occurred while Ray was finalizing the purchase of a house, and she worried the loss of income would kill that dream, she said. The sense of betrayal aggravated her health problems with poor diet, weight loss and depression, she said.

"My depression got so bad I didn't want to get out of bed." Despite encouragement from her friends and family, she pushed them away, she said. Ray heard Hazen was bad-mouthing her to local law enforcement officers, and at times she feared she was being followed. Ray knew of Hazen's and his family's prominence and that her experiences probably clashed with the community's perception of him, too. Continued from Al principal. "And of those who do and elect to further their education, 40 percent, approximately 40 percent, will require some form of remedial education." didate Ted Adams addressed the Wyoming Republican Convention on Saturday in Sheridan.

It appears likely that the Republican winner of the Aug. I7primary election will face Democrat Mike Massie of Laramie, the only member of his party to declare for the position so far, in the November general election. McBride has received much bad press in recent months over problems with the statewide student test-ingprogram, the Proficiency Assessment for Wyoming Students or PAWS. While he has blamed the private company hired to administer the test, he said Saturday he will see to it that future tests are simpler and less burdensome. McBride said Wyoming may get hundreds of applications for teaching and school administrator jobs as they come open.

He said Wyoming schools haven't had to cut budgets and lay off teachers as schools in "I never wanted to be a cop," she said. "I just wanted to figure things out. I was always a puzzle person." Puzzles abounded during her studies in criminal justice andforensic science at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, which offered her an internship with the Weber-Metro Crime Scene Investigation team, she said. "It was the most amazing internship I could have chosen," she said. "On-the-job experience is really where it's at." After graduating in December 2006 with a major, in criminal justice and ami-nor in Spanish, Ray returned to Casper, where a friend helped her find a part-time job at the coroner's office in March 2007.

She knew Hazen from when he was the campus supervisor at KW and was impressed with his certification from the American Board of Medical-Legal Death Investigators. Ray didn't want to be a coroner, but the experience would give her an edge in forensic work, she said. "I just remember being so excited to learn." At the end of July, she became amfl-time employee, which includedbeing on call for two weeks a month to immediately respond to death scenes. Each scene brought its own challenges, and deal-' ing with families by herself could intimidate her, she said. "I didn't know how a family would react." However, Ray could apply her first-hand knowledge of grief to those situations because her olderbrother, Dee Alan, died in an automobile accident in January 2004.

In addition to talking with family members, she photographed bodies and scenes, collected prescription drugs, called victim-witness advocates if necessary, took loved ones to the morgue, conducted external examinations of bodies, extractedfluids for toxicology tests, and waited for bodies to be transported to funeralhomes. "It never bothered me," Ray said. "I don't get easily grossed out." 'Reputation' The same could not be said for the coroner's office politics. Hazen sometimes arriving at work with eyes glazed over sexually ha-rassedher in the basement of the Natrona County Courthouse by asking about her personal life, treated her more harshly than maleem-ployees, and talked about his intimate affairs, according to her lawsuit. "Ihad always heard about his reputation," Ray said.

She describes herself as a tomboy, hung around guys the politics of Washington, D.C.," Micheli said. "To those critics, I would say what Ronald Reagan said, whenhe asked the question, 'If not us, then who? If not now, then The gubernatorial candidates certainly weren't the only ones lashing out at the federal government. U.S. Rep, Cynthia Lummis, said congressional Democrats have a "cocainelike addiction" to spending at atime whehAmericais in a recession. The candidates spoke to approximately 400 state GOP delegates the most delegates to attend a state Republican conventioninat least a decade, organizers said.

The delegates also worked on a party platform for this year's election at the convention, which is held every two years. Hazen inNovember20o8. In aplea agreement in July 2009, prosecutors agreed to drop eight of the 10 charges against Hazen. In exchange, the former Casper police officer admitted to taking hydrocodone and methadone from the coroner's office. OnDec.

11, 2009, District Judge Peter Arnold of Laramie County sentenced Hazen to 10 years of probation. Hazen and his attorney, John Robinson, declined to be interviewed for this story. Despite Hazen's plea and sentence, Ray's ordeal continued as an unemployed, highly trained coroner's assistant. never thought I should change my field or thought that I should change my location," she said. She closely watched the news about Hazen as his le -gal case unfolded.

"I was dealing with a lot of bitter feelings nothaving a job," Ray said. "But I was happy that something was beinglookedinto." She also wanted justice for Ray filed a federal lawsuit against the Natrona County CommissioninNo-vember 2009, alleging the coroner 's office violated her civil rights and wrongfully terminated her. In March, the county and Ray reached a settlement, that included money and a published public apology whichincluded recognition of her efforts that led to Hazen's indictment and conviction. On the advice of her attorneys who participatedin the Star-Tribune interview by conference call, Ray did not comment on the settle -ment. 'Puzzle person' As Ray was growing up, there was nothing special in her conduct that would indicate she would become a lone whistleblower pursuing justice, her mother said.

"She was the typical teenager growing up," Gibson said. "She didn't set out to change the world." Ray sang in choirs, played varsity basketball and volleyball at Kelly Walsh High School, won election to the homecoming king and queen court, andtooktick-ets and served popcorn at the movie theaters. Academically, Ray graduated witha37GPAin2002. Her studies veered toward the sciences, especially chemistry. At Casper College, though, neither pre-phar-macy nor elementary education kindled any interest.

But Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie did. "The movie 'Bone Collector' got me into forensic science," Ray said. other states have been forcedtodo. "My leadership has playedakey role in allowing us to enjoy remarkable successes," McBride said. But Hill countered that, "we have serious problems with education in Wyoming." "The incumbent seeks to keep things as they are," Hill said.

"Einstein tells us doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity." Hill said the Wyoming Department of Education, in the 2003-2004 two- a lot and heard their macho talk, but Hazen's lewd com-mentsandpartystorieswent too far, she said. "I think that line was crossedanumber of times," Ray said. "I think there should have been a little more professionalism involved." The hostile work environment isolated her to where she didn't know whom to trust, she said. Raytookachancetocon-fide in Patterson. The secretary initially didn't believe her until Ray showedher a discrepancy in the medicine count, she said.

"We then counted pills, and an entire bottle of morphine was missing." By November 2007, Ray had enough. She met with then-County Attorney Eric Nelson and summarized the harassment, the workload, not being allowed to take comp time, and the lack of policies for handling death scenes and drug disposal. "I felt that it was out of my hands at that point," Ray said. "I informed the people I needed to inform, and leftitatthat." In December 2007 six months before she ap-proachedDCI Ray anonymously notified the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency about her suspicions of Hazen's druguse, she added.

Meanwhile, Nelson told Hazen of Ray's complaints, and she suffered for it. "When I was working at the coroner's office, I was having gut aches every day," she said. In early April, Hazen transferred Ray to the new morgue in Evansville where she workedby herself. Two weeks later, Hazen paidheravisit. During a bizarre two-hour conversation, he told -of what, she wasn't sure -and said other employees were taking drugs and he wanted everyone to take drug and polygraph tests.

"He acted antsy," Ray said. "I got the feeling he was trying to figure out what he was going to do." Hazen mentioned specific cases and drugs, coaxing her to respond. She didn't, she said. "I was being coy as to what drugs were with what cases." At one point, Hazen inexplicably blurted, "I've never taken methadone in my life," Ray said. The meeting ended, but her queasy feelings didn't.

On April 30, 2008, Hazen with a sheriff's deputy on "civil standby" drove to the morgue and handed Ray her walking papers. 'Clean conscience' A "devastated" Ray went to her "mom's office in tears." "Nobody believed me," Ray said. "My career was in shambles; I didn't know how to put the pieces back together." But she learned. Hazen's conviction and sentence vindicated her and her mother, and, to a point, helped heal her, Gibson said. "She's not as trusting now," Gibson said.

"She's a little harder now; less innocent and naive." Ray has drawn on her athletic abilities to She exercised in earnest, and ran in her first: half-marathon last year. She kept her house. With her doctor's advice, Ray discontinued taking antidepressants. She also sees a counselor, she said. Ray returned to work at the Movie Palaces, and now manages the theaters attheEastridgeMall.

She's also patched her relationships. Looking back, Ray said she would do it again even with the pain and strain it caused her career, reputation, health, relationships and finances. Prospective whistle-blowers, Ray said, need to consider all of that and more. "You've got to be able to look yourself in the mirror, and go to bed with a clean conscience she said. Reach Tom Morton at (307) 266-0592, or at tom.mortontrib.com.

KWOtOttNttOTNlGUUI Continued from Al "I didn't have all this planned out," Ray said. "I didn't know what I was go -ingtodo." Until Hazen fired her April 30, 2008. Two weeks later, Ray and coroner's office secretary Lucinda Patterson approached the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation to recount their observations of Hazen, and show agents what they compiled. "After I left, I felt they wouldn't believe me," Ray said in a recent interview with the Star-Tribune, the first since her lawsuit against Natrona County was settled outofcourtinMarch. She figured she'dbe perceived as a disgruntled ex-employee who just wanted revenge.

"All I was looking for at the time was for someone to believe me," she said. "I really felt defeated." Ray didn't need to feel that way at all. "The information she provided was significant in that it helpedus get the case off the groundin the beginning," DCI Special Agent Tim Hill said. "She was an investigator, that's what she did. She understood evidence." For years before Ray worked for the county, rumors persisted about Hazen's druguse and some -times erratic behavior.

The Natrona County Commission in 2006 unsuccessfully addressed those concerns in personnel and budget meetings. The commissioners endured sharp criticism from Hazen's friends, and the disputes may have cost two of them their positions in the November 2006 elections. The gossip continued. Until Ray stopped it. "The rumors were there," Hill said.

"She put an end to the rumors. She gave us proof." 'Bitter feelings' Ray's mother, Julie Gibson, learned of the importance of documentation instead of drawing on "he said-she said" memories when she investigated check fraud and working with law enforcement officers including Hazen while working at the corporate offices of Mini Mart, she said. "Ididn'tknowthe extent of it, and I didn't think she did, either," Gibson said. DCI learned the magnitude in2008 whenits agents conducted interviews and reviewed other evidence. The result was a long, detailed affidavit with Ray's testimony being the most extensive used to request search warrants.

The evidence supported a 10-count indictment against University of Wyoming Enorjy Rmoutcm and Productd Wattn Conftfnc: Wattr Quality, Manogtmtnl, and Um May 25-26, 2010 Hibon Gordon Inn, UW Confortnco Ctnttr Laromio, WY REGISTER ONLINE NOW VUjaot Sfttkcti John Veil, Miniga of the Water fdkj Program, Argonne National Laboratory, waihington D.C VS. Department of Energy The event free and open to the public Rrgiitet online a wm.upAitlmt MAUI ttOHSMAUUNimUH 1 I.