Feed the Children Fires Founder after He Plants Hidden Microphones in Executive's Offices

Feed the Children Fires Founder after He Plants Hidden Microphones in Executive’s Offices

Posted on November 09, 2009
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You've seen his commercials. Feed the Children's Larry Jones was fired last Friday from the organization he founded 30 years ago after planting hidden microphones in executives offices.

Evidently, the officers of Feed the Children had wanted Larry to take a sabbatical. When Larry caught wind, he fired them (including his own daughter). Then a judge re-instated them. So what else could Jones do but plant hidden microphones in their offices?

Jones said he did nothing wrong and violated no laws. In fact, "There’s going to be thousands of children go hungry this Christmas because of what they did,” according to Jones.

Here's a run-down of the unbelieveable inside happenings at Feed the Children over the past year according to the OPklahoman:

Jones has been in a legal dispute with most of the charity’s board and top executives over who is really in charge there. A lawsuit about the power struggle was settled in August when Jones agreed to give up operational control.

Those at odds with Jones include his own daughter, Larri Sue Jones, who is Feed The Children’s general counsel.

Jones last December had several directors removed from the board. He had his daughter and other top executives fired. He acted after discovering they planned to force him to take a sabbatical.

A judge later reinstated most of the ousted directors and the executives.

Jones in April had hidden microphones installed in the offices of his daughter, the chief financial officer and the chief operating officer before they returned to their jobs, according to two of his attorneys.

Oklahoma City police became involved Aug. 19 after a private investigator found "remnants of wiretapping devices” in the ceilings of the three offices. The owner of the company that installed the microphones told police his employees never could get a recorder to work.

In Oklahoma, it is legal to secretly record one’s own conversations. It is illegal to bug offices to eavesdrop on others. Prosecutors have not made a decision yet on whether Jones will be charged.

Jones only intended to record his own conversations when he was in those offices, his attorneys said.

The executives in the past had misrepresented Jones’ comments when they would relate his remarks to others, said one attorney, David Ogle, who specializes in criminal defense cases. "Everything was set up to protect Larry … because of the misrepresentations,” Ogle said. "There’s absolutely no indication that anything was done illegal by Larry Jones. … Internally, there was a plan to squeeze Larry Jones out. This was a self-defense mechanism.”

Jones on Tuesday passed a polygraph test about his intentions about the recording, Ogle also said. The test was done by a retired FBI agent.

Jones will file a wrongful termination lawsuit next week in Oklahoma County District Court, said another attorney, Mark Hammons.

Hammons said Jones cannot be fired over the microphone issue unless he is convicted of a felony for it. The attorney contended the firing is a breach of Jones’ employment contract. The attorney said Jones will ask in his lawsuit to be reinstated or to be compensated for the contract breach.

Hammons sent a letter to Feed The Children on Friday, after the dismissal, demanding directors remove Jones’ name, likeness and voice from all advertisements.

"The posters using Mr. Jones’ name and likeness must be removed and all stationery, billboards, buses, trucks or other things which bear Mr. Jones’ name or likeness must be withdrawn,” Hammons wrote. "All of these actions must be taken immediately.”

Seriously folks... you can't make this stuff up. You can read more here...

I've heard stories of hidden cameras and microphones in churches over the years as well. Does anyone have any first-hand knowledge of a church/pastor/staff member that has used hidden cameras or bugs for employee surveillance? I know that some churches and businesses monitor email communications over their servers as well.

How much is too much? What should/needs to be disclosed? And how much of this is happening only because the church is operating out of a climate of distrust rather than trust? Where's the line? What is permissible and what is not?

Todd

Comments

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Jim in Indiana on Mon, November 09, 2009

Another sad part of all of this is that donated money to feed children is now going to lawyers. The public donors will soon settle this for them; they’ll stop giving, and there will be no money to give to their attorneys to continue the fight.
Peter Hamm on Mon, November 09, 2009

Hasn’t this organization been a not-so-good investment of our “charity money” for some time?

I’d rather be involved with World Vision or Compassion any day.
bishopdave on Mon, November 09, 2009

Like Crystal Cathedral, Bellvue Baptist in Memphis, and Coral Ridge, maybe this is a case of the younger generation ready for the older to step down, and the older refusing because a) still has gas in the tank; or b) thinks the younger will not do it like older did it. My what a fine Christian upbringing when your dad needs to bug your office.

I just don’t think ministry should be a family business. I’d love to work with my daughter, but that doesn’t mean she’s called to this work.

I ask the office and ministry staff to put really important communications in writing (emails or whatever) due to experience with being misquoted.

We had committees doing such a poor job of keeping minutes and disputes among committee members as to what was said and decided upon that we asked them to take recorders (one guy actually bought several and took them to some of the committee chairs; people started taking better minutes).
David Andrus on Mon, November 09, 2009

Compassion continues to be our gateway to helping kids… forget this organization. Not worth the time or money spent.
GR GUY on Mon, November 09, 2009

Not knowing anything about the situation except that the guy bugged his own offices tells me he has to go. The others may need to go too, but for sure he does. Once you destroy trust and integrity, you’ve destroyed everything. Pride comes before the fall.
toni gmuer on Tue, November 10, 2009

this is another sad story! It sounds so much like the world. These stories are way to often. I wonder what our Father thinks of all of this ? It is so sad when some days your embarrassed to claim your family. TG
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Sabbatical on Thu, March 11, 2010

I want to know what the guy who posted the previous comment was smoking…