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XEROX REACTS TO VERDICT

By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Betsy Sakata, aunt of Ann Lee, who is the widow of Melvin Lee,
and Xerox marketing director Ian Yee sit in the back of the
courtroom, listening intently to the press conference
after Byran Uyesugi was found guilty.

Xerox provides financial
support to victims’ kin

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Star-Bulletin

Xerox Corp. officials say they have been providing some financial support to surviving family members of the seven employees killed last Nov. 2 but refused to give specifics.

"Our CEO made the commitment that the welfare of the families would be our top priority," said Glenn Sexton, Xerox Hawaii vice president and general manager.

"We outlined a commitment to them to provide extraordinary financial support to them above and beyond normal company policies," he said.

"There was a supplemental funds provided to the families to provide ... once again, the aim was to protect their quality of life," Sexton said.

He refused to say how much or whether payments are being made incrementally, citing confidentiality for the families.

Sexton said the families were not asked to agree to not suing Xerox or accept any other conditions as a result of receiving the supplemental funds.

Besides the supplemental funds, the families were provided with full payment of funeral expenses, Sexton said.

Additionally, two funds were established, one of them directly for the benefit of the families and the other for the community.

Further, "various companies providing insurance policies were paid."

Also, a $400,000 scholarship fund was established to provide educational assistance to the minor children of the families.

Xerox officials, at its post-trial news conference, also defended its handling of Byran Uyesugi following a 1993 incident when he kicked in an elevator door.

"Xerox allowed Mr. Uyesugi to return to the job only after medical experts concluded there was no threat to others in the workplace," said Terry Dillman, Xerox's corporate public relations manager.

Uyesugi was also required to sign an agreement not to violate Xerox conduct policies, an agreement he did not violate in six years, Sexton said.

Dillman also said the subject of the early morning work group meeting last Nov. 2 that spurred the deaths of seven employees was not Uyesugi's work performance. Dillman said Uyesugi was supposed to begin monthlong training for a new type of copier.

"Clearly, the company would not plan advanced training for an employee who was about to be terminated," Dillman said.

Sexton called the guilty verdict against Uyesugi "a bittersweet moment" for the company.

Of the seven men who lost their lives, Sexton said: "Collectively, they gave 143 years of service to Xerox and were among the best in the world at what they did."

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Opening Arguments from May 15, 2000
Xerox killings - Nov. 2, 1999