Wisconsin business threatened for allegedly selling gas to Republican Senator

Original Post: Examiner

For the heinous act of allegedly selling gas to a Republican State Senator, a Sheboygan, Wisconsin gas station received threats from a local school district employee.

According to WBAY, Dick Hiers, owner of a Northeast Standard gas station, began receiving calls last Tuesday from an unidentified woman who thought she saw Senator Joe Leibham buying gas there. As it turns out, the person she thought was Senator Leibham was actually the Senator's brother.

Molly Hendrickson writes:

"I think that this whole thing has to end. It has to stop," said Hiers. "This type of stuff is totally uncalled for."

Hiers never thought his little gas station in the heart of Sheboygan would be the stage of political controversy. Then again, his week has been full of surprises.

"I was working back here and the answering machine went off, and I was a little surprised by that, and when I heard the message here, I was even a little more surprised."

The conversation was captured on an answering machine that was left on from the previous night.

Caller: "Can you verify that was Senator Leibham at the gas station this morning?"

Gas station clerk: "Senator Leibham?"

Caller: "Yes. Do you guys support him?"

Clerk: "I have nothing to say about that, I am not politically involved."

Caller: "Alright, well you can tell Dick he's not good for business, I'll tell you that."

Translation: Nice business you have here - be a shame if something happened to it.

Hiers quickly traced the call and discovered it came from the Sheboygan area district school office.

On Tuesday, a school district employee Hiers believed was the woman who made the call visited his business, but he was unable to speak with her. Hiers told the Sheboygan Press he thought the woman was instructed to apologize for the call.

Sheboygan School Superintendent Joseph Sheehan was not in the area Friday, but told WBAY the district has taken "appropriate disciplinary action" against the employee.

"Any type of phone call leaving any types of threats or condoning any type of intimidation is strictly prohibited," he said.

According to school officials, the 8:15 call was made before the employee was on the clock.

Hiers told WBAY he wants answers, and says the week's events are a "...sign things have gone too far."

"Everybody's money is green, it's all the same, and I don't pick and choose who can come into my business," Hiers said, according to WBAY. He also expressed concern for the Senator's safety, citing threats the Senator and his family have received.
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Leibham was one of the Republican lawmakers targeted with a death threat sent by email. Katherine Windels, 26, has been charged with two felony counts and two misdemeanor counts for the threats.

In March, a public sector union threatened businesses with boycotts if they did not display a poster showing solidarity with the unions. Most of the businesses refused to cave in to the demands made by the unions and instead of suffering from a public union boycott, saw increased support from the local community.

Earlier in March, a branch of the M&I bank was vandalized with pro-union graffiti and a Sendik's grocery store had its doors glued shut.

WBAY reports that Senator Leibham has filed an open records request with the school district.

According to the Sheboygan Press:

Leibham said his concern is whether a school employee on school time would make statements like that from a school phone.

"My interest in this is as a taxpayer," Leibham said. "I'm interested if this was a call made from a school district phone system and I'm intrigued if it's the responsibility of school district employees to be monitoring the activities of citizens and to be calling businesses to give them advice on how to run their business. I've never, as a taxpayer, understood that was the responsibility of school district employees or the school district as a whole."

Audio of the call can be heard at the Sheboygan Press.