Former Official: Minors Not Allowed in Plant

Defense attorneys Mark Weinhardt, left, and Montgomery Brown confer behind Sholom Rubashkin during Rubashkin's child labor trial at the Black Hawk County Courthouse on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 in Waterloo, Iowa. Rubashkin, a former manager of Agriprocessors, a Kosher slaughterhouse, faces 83 child labor violation charges stemming from a May 2008 raid at the plant in which 389 illegal immigrants, including 31 children, were detained. (AP Photo/The Des Moines Register, Christopher Gannon)

Tools

By Richard Pratt

Story Created: May 21, 2010 at 9:01 AM CDT

Story Updated: May 21, 2010 at 2:51 PM CDT

WATERLOO (AP) - A former controller at an Iowa kosher meatpacking plant says former manager Sholom Rubashkin didn't want underage workers in the slaughterhouse.

Toby Bensasson testified Friday during Rubashkin's trial in Black Hawk County.

Rubashkin is charged with 83 counts of child labor violations.

Bensasson testified that the company would lose its insurance coverage if underage workers were found at the plant.

He says he once kicked out a girl who was under 18 after being alerted by a human resources employee. Bensasson says that when he told Rubashkin, Rubashkin responded by saying: "Very good. We can't have minors."

The trial resumed Friday after being delayed several days because Rubashkin was hospitalized with a skin infection on his arm and because of a Jewish holiday.

Conversation Guidelines

Be Kind

Don't use abusive, offensive, threatening, racist, vulgar or sexually-oriented language.
Don't attack someone personally. Keep it civil and be responsible.

Share Knowledge

Be truthful. Share what you know and what you are passionate about.
What more do you want to learn? Keep it simple.

Stay focused

Promote lively and healthy debate. Stay on topic. Ask questions and give feedback on the story's topic.

Report Trouble

Help us maintain a quality comment section by reporting comments that are offensive. If you see a comment that is offensive, or you feel violates our guidelines, simply click on the "x" to the far right of the comment to report it.


read the full guidelines here »

Commenting will be disabled on stories dealing with the following subject matter: Crime, sexual abuse, property fires, automobile accidents, Amber Alerts, Operation Quickfinds and suicides.

More Good Stuff

What's On KCRG