Another episode of “Thinking of Eavesdropping? — Don’t Do It!”
Throughout the TSCM industry, reports of eavesdropping devices being discovered are often found to have been placed by executives or other trusted individuals who feared that they may be fired or passed over for a promotion. They typically want to know what is going on behind the closed doors of a meeting they were not invited to. This case appears to fall into this category.
A Champaign County, Illinois, judge found a former school administrator guilty of attempted eavesdropping for trying to surreptitiously record a closed session of the school board with a “spy pen.”
Judge Ben Dyer’s finding that the state presented sufficient evidence to find Samuel Byndom, 38, guilty of that misdemeanor offense brings to a close a criminal case that started almost four years ago against the backdrop of internal strife in the district over issues of discipline, hiring and diversity.
Calling the highly educated Byndom’s conduct “certainly beneath him,” the judge noted that Byndom believed he was justified in planting a “spy pen” in a closed session of the school board to record what he thought was going to be talk of his and other administrators’ firings and a potentially illegal hiring audit.
Samuel Byndom planted a spy pen in a private meeting.
The judge was quite lenient. Byndom is very lucky.
Dyer said Byndom did not gain anything from his action and felt Byndom’s remorse was sincere. The judge quoted supporters who described Byndom as “motivated, inspirational” and possessing a “warm and generous spirit.”
Former longtime Urbana school board President John Dimit, whose testimony showed asked former Superintendent Don Owen if he’d be willing to fire Byndom, even wrote a letter of support for him.
Dimit told the judge that Byndom had already suffered enough by losing his job and taking a hit to his reputation and that there was no need to prolong that suffering.
“I agree,” said Dyer, who said the punishment should be proportionate to the crime and sentenced Byndom to three months of court supervision, 30 hours of public service and a $1,500 fine.
If Byndom carries out those terms and gets in no trouble with the law, no conviction will enter on his record. Further, in two years, he can try to have the case expunged, which, if successful, would treat the matter as if it never happened.
It could have ended much worse for him.
Privacy of meetings can be crucial to the success of any business or organization. Spy devices are readily available from sources online and elsewhere.
Conducting TSCM sweeps of your meeting rooms not only helps to protect upcoming meetings, but along with other information security awareness will help to bolster respect for confidentiality and to create an atmosphere of security. That may help dissuade employees or others from attempting to act as a spy.