Gannon/Guckert has been exposed as a serious plagiarist, further undermining any claim he had to be a serious journalist with a right to be seated in the White House Press Briefing Room.
Details of the story can be found at: The Raw Story and Why We Are Back in Iraq.
Outlines of the story:
Reporter, Melissa Beecher wrote an article on June 13, 2003, about “two home-schooled children”, who “refused to take a standardized test”.
The story ran in The MetroWest Daily News and The Daily News Tribune. Guckert lifted major portions of the article without giving any attribution to Ms. Beecher. You can compare the phrasing below.
Beecher – “A legal battle over two home-schooled children exploded into a seven-hour standoff yesterday, when they refused to take a standardized test ordered by the Department of Social Services.”
Jeff – “At 7:45 a.m. Thursday, DDS workers and police came to the Waltham, MA residence of George and Kim Bryant to transport the couple’s two children George Nicholas, 15, and Nyssa, 13, to a hotel to administer a test to determine their educational level.”
Beecher – “George Nicholas Bryant, 15, and Nyssa Bryant, 13, stood behind their parents, Kim and George, as police and DSS workers attempted to collect the children at 7:45 a.m. DSS demanded that the two complete a test to determine their educational level.”
Jeff – “Waltham Youth Officer Detective James Auld said, “We are simply here to prevent a breach of the peace, we will not physically remove the children.”
Beecher – “We are simply here to prevent a breach of the peace,” said Waltham Youth Officer Detective James Auld. “We will will not physically remove the children.”
Jeff – “DDS worker Susan Etscovitz adamantly told the Bryants, “We have legal custody of the children and we will do with them as we see fit.”
Beecher – “”We have legal custody of the children and we will do with them as we see fit,” DSS worker Susan Etscovitz told the Bryants in their Gale Street home.”
Jeff – “The Waltham couple was ruled unfit because they did not file educational plans or determine a grading system for the children.”
Beecher – “The parents have been ruled as unfit because they did not file educational plans or determine a grading system for the children…”
Jeff – “Kenneth Pontes, area director of DDS said that it is possible that the children will be removed from their home, but that would be a last course of action.”
Beecher – “Pontes said that a possibility exists that the children will be removed from their home, but that was a last course of action.”
Jeff – “The Framingham Juvenile Court issued a court order at 1:00 p.m., and the Bryants drove their children to the hotel. But the children refused to take the test.”
Beecher – “After a court order was issued by Framingham Juvenile Court around 1 p.m., the children were driven by their parents to a Waltham hotel. Again, they refused to take the test.”
Jeff – “The Bryants believe that the city and the state do not have the legal right to force their children to take standardized tests.”
Beecher – “The Bryants contend that the city and state do not have the legal right to force their children to take standardized tests.”
Jeff – “Both sides agree that the children have not been abused mentally, physically, sexually, or emotionally…”
Beecher – “Both sides agree that the children are in no way abused mentally, physically, sexually or emotionally…”
Lifted from Why We Are Back in Iraq
