Gary Conklin Opens Up

            Last quarter, I was in Comm 421, a writing and editing for news media course. I wrote this article as my final paper. Enjoy.

Gary Conklin, owner of Conklin Dairy Farms, Inc., was “horrified” by the footage of abuse uncovered on his farm in early 2010.

After a month of collecting undercover material, Chicago-based animal rights group Mercy for Animals released a video revealing beating of cows and calves on Conklin’s farm, showcasing employee Billy Joe Gregg as the main participant in the abuse. A shot of Conklin kicking a downed cow was also included in the video.

The issue soon made national news, and both Conklin and Gregg were widely condemned for their participation in the abuse. However, the Union County grand jury found “no probable cause to believe Mr. Conklin committed any crime,” according to a July 6, 2010 Union County press release.

“They [a panel of four experts] saw the unedited video of Mr. Conklin’s actions, not the highly inflammatory version released on YouTube by Mercy for Animals,” said David Phillips, Union County Prosecuting Attorney.

“The YouTube video created a perception that Mr. Conklin was involved in this abuse, which was simply not true,” said Phillips.

MFA hired Jason Smith of Texas to apply for a job at Conklin’s farm, and upon his hire he began taking undercover footage. Smith worked on the farm for 30 days, performing odd jobs as needed, and under sworn testimony Smith revealed that he too had kicked and poked animals with a pitchfork, allegedly to maintain his cover.

While neither Smith nor Conklin were charged, Gregg was arrested and subsequently charged with 12 counts of animal cruelty. He later pleaded guilty to six counts of cruelty to animals and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.

Conklin learned of the investigation a mere day before the video was to be released, when a reporter called and asked for comment. “At that point, I got home as fast as I could to watch the video. I was horrified.”

After Conklin learned of the video’s imminent release, he contacted Hinda Mitchell, vice president of a crisis communication firm, who had worked on 12 cases of undercover video releases prior to working with Conklin.

Mitchell and Conklin set up a plan for handling the media by creating positive messages, responses to inquiries, and engaging with the media within the farming community. “Gary had such a strong reputation within the community that we could be totally transparent,” said Mitchell.

Mitchell added that Conklin had “a strong commitment to animal care,” and that made creating a positive image for the farm much easier.

A June 10, 2010 press release from the farm stated that the family were “extraordinarily saddened” by the abuse of animals on the farm, saying the actions went against their “long-standing commitment to animal care and well-being.”

According to MFA, the investigation officially closed on May 23, 2010, but the aftereffects have lasted far longer. Public perception of the incident has not changed, even after Conklin and his family were cleared of all wrongdoing. “I still get death threats – in fact, I got one last night,” said Conklin in a personal interview on Feb. 18, 2012. Conklin says he has received several thousand calls since the video’s release.

Conklin has tightened employee standards since the investigation. A handbook detailing proper care and handling methods is now available in every building, and all employees are required to sign a document stating they understand the acceptable practices and the consequences they may face if they don’t follow them.

“We have standards set, and the employees understand what is expected of them,” said Conklin. He also makes sure that all employees are properly trained for the jobs they are to perform.

Some questions, though, remain unanswered. Conklin wonders why MFA never contacted him during or after the investigation. Had he known, Conklin says he would have stopped the abuse immediately and taken action.

In the Union County press release, Phillips stated that MFA was aware of the abuse, as the investigator said he reported to them on a daily basis. However,  “MFA allowed the abuse to continue, unreported, and the animals to suffer at the hands of Billy Joe Gregg.”

Said Daniel Hauff, Director of Investigations with MFA, “We’ve never spoken to them, because it’s a law enforcement matter. Once the investigation is complete, we hand all the evidence over to law enforcement.”

 “As soon as the investigator and MFA became aware of Mr. Gregg’s actions, someone should have notified law enforcement or the humane society,” said Phillips. “Had they done so, much of the abuse at the hands of Billy Joe Gregg shown on the video never would have happened, and the animals could have been spared.”