Everett, Wash.
Published: Friday, March 14, 2008

Porn, spy cam alleged on ferries

Employees accused of misusing Internet, spying on co-workers

By Scott North, Herald Writer

 MUKILTEO -- Washington State Ferries is investigating allegations a worker on the Mukilteo-to-Clinton route has been using wireless onboard computers in the ferries' pilot houses to access Internet porn.

Meanwhile, the Washington State Patrol has a separate criminal investigation under way after a surveillance camera was discovered in December, hidden in an employee-only restroom on the ferry Cathlamet, officials said Thursday.

"Both of the incidents have been forwarded to the appropriate authorities and they are in fact-finding or investigation," said Marta Coursey, communications director for the ferry system.

Each of the cases involved complaints from ferry workers against other crew members and are being treated as personnel matters by the ferry system, Coursey said.

The Internet porn allegations surfaced early this month. Ferry officials removed the hard drives from the pilot house computers on the Kittitas and Cathlamet. The contents of the hard drives are being scanned by computer technicians at Washington State Department of Transportation headquarters in Olympia, Coursey said.

The alleged computer misuse came to light after a labor dispute, according to a source knowledgeable about the ferry system.

A ferry worker refused to take an assignment inside the pilot house, claiming one of the ship's captains had created a hostile work environment by using the vessel's wireless connection to view pornography from the Internet, the source said.

Coursey said she could not comment on specifics, and that ferry officials were awaiting results of the hard drive scans.

The surveillance camera investigation began roughly three months ago after one engine room employee accused another of installing the device in a restroom not accessible to the public.

Ferry officials investigated, found the camera and contacted the patrol to investigate. Under state law, a person can face felony voyeurism charges if spy cameras and other devices are used for peeping.

Detectives continue to investigate the allegations and no arrests have been made, State Patrol spokesman Robert Calkins said.

He emphasized that investigators haven't discovered any evidence that cameras were set up in any restrooms open to the public.

A ferry system employee has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation is under way, Coursey said.

The ferry system has been struggling for much of the past year with bad news.

It began after questions began surfacing about the safety of four 80-year-old ferries.

Service has repeatedly been disrupted since November, when state Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond took emergency steps to retire the 1927-vintage Steel Electric-class ferries because of concerns about hull corrosion.

Since then, the ferry system has struggled to keeping carrying passengers and vehicles, while at the same time trying to meet stepped-up Coast Guard demands for inspection and repairs on the rest of the fleet. That challenge has been complicated further by rough weather damage to the passenger-only ferry Snohomish, and the car ferry Yakima, which was blown into a breakwater while landing in Bremerton, cracking its hull.

Herald writer Diana Hefley contributed to this report.

Reporter Scott North: 425-339-3431 or north@heraldnet.com.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA