Denison, Iowa-based Crawford County Memorial Hospital and the hospital's foundation filed a petition in Crawford County District Court requesting to block the release of its van drivers' names following accusations that at least one driver may have a criminal history involving sexual abuse of a minor, according to The Des Moines Register.
Richard Knowles, former publisher of the Denison Bulletin and Review, requested the release of Crawford County Memorial Hospital's van drivers and hostesses April 15. He said he has witnessed a driver that he suspects as having a history of sexual abuse making extended stops with the van at the Denison Aquatic Center, where patients are transported for therapy.
Mr. Knowles follows the vans and also checks the hospital's parking lots twice a day, according to the report. He believes he knows the names of most of the drivers and says some of their driving records include numerous traffic violations.
Bill Bruce, the hospital's CEO, denied Mr. Knowles' request for the names the following day and filed a petition in the Crawford County District Court requesting the records be kept confidential. Mr. Bruce's email to Mr. Knowles did not cite a reason for not disclosing the drivers' names.
"This is about the public's right to know and ability to obtain public records," Mr. Knowles told The Des Moines Register.
Mr. Knowles forwarded Mr. Bruce's email to Margaret Johnson, director of the Iowa Public Information Board, who cited the state's open record law that mandates the names and compensation of government employees be released publicly, adding that volunteers are considered employees. However, the hospital argued in its May 6 petition that volunteers have no contractual relationship with the hospital so it is not required by law to release this information.
Mr. Knowles has been witnessed following the hospital's vans and volunteers have indicated they are afraid he will attempt to intimidate or harass them, according to an affidavit filed by the hospital foundation's director, Donald Luensmann, and Mr. Bruce. According to the report, the affidavit also states Mr. Knowles has a history of making requests for information the hospital calls "abusive and designed to threaten, intimidate or harass."
Since the hospital filed the petition in court, Mr. Knowles must respond in court if he seeks to continue pursuing the matter.
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