January 23, 2005 STRAITJACKETS HAVE HISTORY OF ABUSE AND DEATH The National Stigma Clearinghouse has been unable to find current information about the use of straitjackets. For the first time, Google failed us: most of their links sent us to S&M sites. Nevertheless, our files show decades of straitjacket abuse and public indifference, an indifference now demonstrated by the Vermont Teddy Bear Company (scroll down for contact information). In 1991, Newsday (Long Island, NY) exposed a shocking record of death by restraint in New York. Their investigation, described in a series of articles by Kathleen Kerr, was followed by a 2-year investigation by the state's office of mental health. In 1994, new guidelines for use of restraints were issued "amid growing pressure from advocacy groups made up of former patients." (Quote from NY Times) In 1998, Eric M. Weiss of the Hartford Courant reported that between 50 and 150 deaths by restraint occur every year across the country. Weiss was referring to an unprecedented study of restraint statistics commissioned by the Hartford Courant and conducted by a research specialist at the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis. The study's findings brought calls for nationwide reform in 1998 led by the congressional delegation from Connecticut. At that time, the article reported, "The federal government does not collect data on how many patients are killed by a procedure that is used every day in psychiatric and mental retardation facillities across the country. Neither do state regulators, academics, or accreditation agencies." The researchers found that in the 114 cases where ages could be confirmed, children accounted for more than 26 percent of the deaths. Did the federal government ever act? If you know, please let us know. Email stigmanet@webtv.net. REFERENCES Article: "Mental Patients' Deaths Probed," by Eric M. Weiss, Hartford Courant, October 11, 1998. Article: "Proposal Urges an End to Straitjacket Use," by Lisa W. Foderaro, New York Times, July 27, 1994. Series of articles: "Death By Restraint," by Kathleen Kerr, New York Newsday, December 15, 16, 17, 1991. ____________________________________ January 23, 2005 WHAT'S ENDEARING ABOUT A STRAITJACKET? Mental Health Advocates Not Amused by Straitjacketed Teddy Bear Why do straitjackets, a symbol of force and humiliation, appeal to advertisers and product marketers? We can't answer that question, but the National Stigma Clearinghouse archive shows straitjackets have been used as a marketing tool for many years. This week, a coalition of mental health advocates in Vermont confronted the Vermont Teddy Bear Company of Shelburne with strong objections to the company's new "Crazy for You Bear." Designed as a Valentine's Day gift, the nationally-sold bear has the following description: "Dressed in a white straight jacket embroidered with a red heart, this Bear is a great gift for someone you're crazy about. He even comes with a "Commitment Report" stating, "Can't Eat, Can't Sleep, My Heart's Racing. Diagnosis: "Crazy for you! Trust us! She'll go nuts over this Bear!" Although straitjackets are now limited in use after causing suffering and death for decades, the lingering image is intensely painful. While some people laugh at a straitjacket, a mere picture of one will reduce others to tears. What seems apparent from this episode? 1) The people who sell the bear are either unaware of, or indifferent to the harm that can result from the commercial exploitation of an illness or disability. 2) The marketers are unaware of, or indifferent to the possible consequences of ridiculing a group protected by Human Rights Law. 3) Straitjackets reinforce the public's existing misconceptions about the dangerousness of people with mental illnesses. From an antistigma point of view, the bear promotes inaccurate information. 4) Unlike other powerful symbols of oppression (a lynching noose for example), the general public accepts the use of straitjackets to market merchandise. _______________________________ We urge advocates nationwide to send their comments to the Vermont Teddy Bear Company. Contact Information: Elizabeth Robert, President Vermont Teddy Bear Company 6655 Shelburne Road Shelburne, VT 05482 E-mail: LizR@vtbear.com Toll-free phone for bear comments: 1-888-502-1715 More info: Phone: 1-800-988-8277 Fax: 1-802-985-1382 Web: http://www.VermontTeddyBear.com E-mail: nicolel@vtbear.com (Nicole L'Huillier, Public Relations Manager) ----------------------------------------------

January 23, 2005 WILL MORE OPEN DIALOGUE EMERGE FROM STRAITJACKETED BEAR CONTROVERSY? Below is a perceptive editorial that appeared in Central Vermont's Times Argus a week after mental health advocates formally protested a straitjacketed teddy bear sold by the Vermont Teddy Bear Company Source: Times Argus, serving Barre/Montpelier and Capitol Region http://www.timesargus.com Bearly tolerable Times Argus January 16, 2005 The Vermont Teddy Bear, icon of the cute and cuddly, has strayed into the territory of the tasteless, and the company is hearing growls of complaint. The company is known worldwide for the wide array of stuffed bears it offers. Instead of sending flowers, you can order up a birthday bear or a get well bear or any of dozens of other bears, including occupation bears, such as lawyer bears, lady lawyer bears, even desert camouflage bears. There is also a selection of Valentine bears, and that is where the company ran into trouble. There is a "Crazy for You" bear that is really crazy, as in tied-up-in-a-straitjacket crazy. Mental health advocates are offended by the joke. Mental illness is no laughing matter to those who suffer it, those helping those who suffer it and those who advocate for enlightened policies related to mental illness. Even Gov. James Douglas was offended by the straitjacketed bear, saying that if it were up to him the bear would not have been created in the first place. Of course, it was not up to him, and manufacturers are free to manufacture all sorts of tasteless items for sale. Tastelessness is its own market niche. Some of the T-shirts on display during an ordinary walk through the mall are enough to make ordinary people cringe. People may be surprised to learn that Vermont Teddy Bear Co. has ventured into the realm of tastelessness, but the straitjacket bear is not the only bear verging on the bizarre. For a more risqué option, you could choose PlayBear Playmate, which is a bear imitating a woman imitating a bunny (licensed by Playboy, of course). She is "fun and flirtatious," according to the Web site, which means she has the traditional Playboy cottontail and satin outfit with ears, tuxedo cuffs and collar, all adorning the traditional round-shaped bear. It's hard to figure out who should be offended — feminists or animal lovers. Vermont Teddy Bear Co., it turns out, is not in business to reinforce our ideas of wholesomeness. It is in the business of making money. It does so by offering a vast array of choices for customers looking to send what they think of as a personal message — or, to use the trademark term, a Bear-Gram. It wasn't long ago that the company was in the doldrums, financially, but in recent years profits have grown. Employment has also grown at both its Shelburne and Newport manufacturing plants, and the Shelburne plant has become an important tourist destination. That doesn't make the "Crazy for You" joke easier to take for mental health advocates. But it is a sign of progress in the evolution of social issues when the question of "political correctness" becomes a matter for debate. Political correctness is really another way of talking about respect. Mental health issues are now out in the open sufficiently that advocates feel justified in demanding respect. Sensitivity on the issue remains acute; maybe when it is clear that society has adopted enlightened attitudes toward the mentally ill, then advocates may be willing to go along with the joke. Until then they will let people know when the mentally ill are disrespected. People have a choice of being close-minded or open-minded. As in other cultural debates, such as the question of American Indian school mascots, the close-minded response is: "Lighten up. No offense is intended." The open-minded response is: "Oh. You find it offensive. I didn't know." That is when discussion begins. Straitjacket bear will continue to be available, according to the company, but only through Valentine's Day. Some people will think it's funny. Some people won't. Meanwhile, a small act of insensitivity regarding mental illness has become the occasion for people to realize there was more to the joke than they realized. Vermont Teddy Bear will have reaped publicity because of the brouhaha, which may boost sales. It would be a surprise if they brought back straitjacket bear next year.   NOTE from National Stigma Clearinghouse: Much as we admire many of the sentiments expressed in "Bearly Tolerable," some of the language used implies a one-size-fits-all view of mental illnesses. The preferred term is "mental illnesses" or "a mental illness," both more accurate than the collective "mental illness." The phrase, "the mentally ill," reduces a disparate group of individuals to a faceless stereotype. _________________________________________

January 23, 2005 REAL COERCION IN THE REAL WORLD The following letter by Susan Stefan, Center for Public Representation, has been submitted to the Boston Globe: I have represented people with psychiatric disabilities for over twenty years, and would like to provide your readers with some context for the pain and anger caused by the sale of a bear in a straitjacket with "commitment papers." ("`Crazy´ teddy bear prompts protest," Jan. 13, 2005). This is what it's like for some people to be committed: police show up at your door at night with no notice and handcuff you and take you off to a hospital for assessment. Sometimes they won't tell you where you are being taken or why. Sometimes you have kids left in the house. Sometimes you have a job to go to, sometimes you are paraded in your nightclothes past your neighbors in the apartment building. Sometimes you are sobbing on the phone to a hot line in the bedroom and you don't hear the police so they break the door down. If the hospital decides to keep you, you stay there for days before you go to court, and when you go to court, the judge thinks you're crazy, because if not, why would you be there? This is what it's like to be restrained: you lie on a bed with your hands and legs apart tied down with leather restraints. Sometimes they let you out to go to the bathroom and tie you back up, sometimes you get a bedpan. Someone is watching you, but sometimes that person is told not to talk to you or answer your questions. You don't know when you are going to be untied. If you get more upset because you are tied up, you stay tied up longer. Hundreds of people have died in restraints. This is how it is. It's not funny, or cute, or anything but frightening and awful. If the teddy bear was a representation of any other member of our society tied up and powerless, how would we react? Susan Stefan Center for Public Representation Newton, MA. 02460 ____________________________________

January 23, 2005 NEW YORK TIMES REPORTS STRAITJACKETED BEAR CONTROVERSY Source: New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/22/national/22bear.html (Subscription -free- is needed) Article reprinted below: January 22, 2005 Toy's Message of Affection Draws Anger and Publicity By PAM BELLUCK SHELBURNE, Vt., Jan. 20 - The Vermont Teddy Bear Company believed it had a winner of a Valentine gift: its "Crazy for You" teddy bear, a cuddly bundle of fur - with paws restrained by a straitjacket and the outfit accompanied by commitment papers. But when the company, a nationally known retailer and tourist attraction much loved in Vermont, started selling the teddy bear this month, it created an uproar. Gov. Jim Douglas, a Republican who considers the company's president a friend, called the bear "very insensitive" at a news conference, saying: "Mental health is very serious. We should not stigmatize it further with these marketing efforts." Pleas to stop selling the bear have come from state legislators, medical professionals and mental health advocates, who say they object not to the "crazy for you" sentiment but to the straitjacket and commitment papers because they represent such an extreme and painful image of mental illness. The mother of a mentally ill teenager in Massachusetts started a petition drive, helped by students in local public schools. And both the president and the chairman of Vermont's only teaching hospital, Fletcher Allen Health Care, criticized the company, significant because the president of Vermont Teddy Bear, Elisabeth Robert, sits on the hospital's board. Mental health advocates want Ms. Robert removed from her hospital position, and the board chairman, William Schubart, is considering the request. "That kind of lighthearted depiction of illness is just not something I tolerate," Mr. Schubart said. Vermont Teddy Bear said it would keep its original plan of selling the bear, which costs $69.95, in its stores and on its Web site through Valentine's Day, its busiest season. (In its Shelburne store, little straitjackets are also sold separately so customers can accessorize other bears.) In a statement, the company said, "We recognize that this is a sensitive, human issue and sincerely apologize if we have offended anyone." It added, "This bear was created in the spirit of Valentine's Day" and "was designed to be a lighthearted depiction of the sentiment of love." Company officials have agreed to meet with the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. Bob Carolla, an alliance spokesman, said the company first resisted meeting before Valentine's Day but then agreed to meet on Feb. 8. Mr. Carolla said that his group had fought the use of straitjackets in advertisements, but that this was the first straitjacketed product he could recall. Ms. Robert (pronounced roh-BEAR) said in an interview that the company, based in Shelburne, made the 15-inch bear after a customer survey yielded "overwhelmingly positive feedback." When complaints started, Ms. Robert said, she reflected on the matter "for virtually an entire day." She said she talked to employees and the board of directors, and reviewed public feedback. "I listened to our customers - they were buying the bear," Ms. Robert said. She concluded that "there were many business reasons not to pull the product off the market - profit wasn't the only one." The bear has upset many Vermont residents because the company, like the ice cream maker Ben and Jerry's, is a Vermont mascot of sorts and has popular community programs like providing teddy bears for injured children. Also, Vermont is considered a state with progressive mental health laws. "Vermont Teddy Bear has a reputation for being socially responsible and sensitive," Jason Gibbs, a spokesman for Governor Douglas, said. "And you would think that someone who sits on the board of trustees of Vermont's only academic medical center would have an exceeding degree of respect for the need to treat the mental health community with parity." "We're also concerned about the reputation of this particular company," Mr. Gibbs said. "They are a valued employer; they are a tourist attraction." Nicole L'Huillier, a company spokeswoman, said that despite making a product associated with children, Vermont Teddy Bear advertised to adults, often on radio shows like Howard Stern's. In addition to bears dressed as princesses and Superman, it also has a Playboy bear. "The majority of our customers are men at Valentine's Day," Ms. L'Huillier said. The company has received about 150 supportive e-mail messages and phone calls regarding its "Crazy for You" bear and about 400 in opposition, she said. Fueled by the uproar, about 2,000 bears were sold last week, she said, a volume considered "very high," but sales have recently "leveled off." Supporters of the company's decision to keep selling the bear say opponents are too politically correct. Ken Schram, a commentator for KOMO-TV in Seattle, said on the air that "the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill is bouncing around its round rubber boardroom." And Robert Paul Reyes, a columnist for The Lynchburg Ledger, a weekly newspaper in central Virginia, advised the head of the Vermont chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill chapter to "take a Valium, or better yet buy a 'Crazy for You Bear.' " Some Vermont residents also dismiss the objections. "It's a lovey, huggy little bear," said Al Bounds, 74, of Shelburne, which is a Burlington suburb. "Who cares what it's wearing?" Mr. Bounds said he thought the controversy was "good for the company because it will put them on TV, so that will bring money into the community." But others say a straitjacket on something as cute as a teddy bear trivializes a traumatic experience and reinforces a stereotype of mentally ill people as violent. "If Vermont Teddy Bear had produced a bear with a noose around its neck saying, 'I'd love to hang with you,' and called it a Ku Klux Klan teddy bear, the response would be overwhelming disgust and horror," said Anne Donahue, a Republican state representative. Flip Brown, a management consultant in Burlington, said that "I know that marketing departments need to be creative and even edgy, and you want products that grab attention," but that "if you buy this bear and you have a child who sees it and asks: 'What is that bear doing? Why can't it move its arms?' how do you answer that question?" Maureen McNamara of Westboro, Mass., whose 13-year-old son has been committed to psychiatric hospitals and put in a straitjacket, started a petition drive against the bear. "You wouldn't have a bear in a wheelchair saying, 'I'm rolling over the hill in love with you,' " she said. On Thursday, at the company's store here, Irene Brimicombe, 81, of Shelburne, looked at the prominently displayed bears and said, "They should take it off the market, so many people are against it." But her friend, June Quinn, 76, who recently moved from Virginia, bought one. "I'm tired of being politically correct," Ms. Quinn said. "I'm tired of balancing what comes out of my mouth. And, he's cute as all get out." Ms. Quinn also bought an American flag sweater for her bear. "Well, he can't sit around all the time in this," she said, gesturing to the straitjacket. "See," Ms. Brimicombe said, "that proves it isn't right." Copyright New York Times Company 2005 __________________________________________

January 27, 2005 FLETCHER ALLEN BOARD MEMBER'S POSITION THREATENED BY TEDDY Source: Times Argus, http://www.timesargus.com Article published Jan 26, 2005 BURLINGTON — The board of trustees of Vermont's largest hospital plans to discuss the controversy surrounding the "Crazy for You" teddy bear made by a board member's company. Elisabeth Robert is president and chief executive officer of Vermont Teddy Bear in Shelburne, which is selling a Valentine's Day "Crazy for You" bear that is dressed in a straitjacket and accompanied by commitment papers. The bear has been termed insensitive by Gov. Jim Douglas and criticized by mental health advocates, who argue that, as a trustee of a hospital that treats the mentally ill, Robert should know better. Fletcher Allen leaders don't like the bear either. "It's a real problem," said Bill Schubart, chairman of the Burlington hospital's board. "It is inconsistent with the values of the institution we volunteer to serve." Schubart said the full board will discuss the issue at its Feb. 8 meeting with no prearranged outcome. Robert has been a member of the Fletcher Allen board, a volunteer position, since December 2002. She was among those appointed following an expansion project scandal that has led to the criminal convictions of two top administrators that shook the hospital's image. Robert issued a statement Monday: "I serve Fletcher Allen Health Care as a citizen in the community and it is unfortunate that recent business decisions have put me in this position. However, I respect the process that has been established to address this issue and under-stand the concerns of the institution." Fletcher Allen board bylaws say that a board member may be removed by a vote of at least two-thirds of its 18 members based on four criteria: failure to attend at least 65 percent of regular board meetings, conviction of a felony, gross negligence in the performance of duties with respect to Fletcher Allen, or willful action that is contrary to the best interests of the hospital. Mental health advocates called earlier this month for the immediate removal of the bear from the market. The company responded by saying it would continue selling the item through Valentine's Day and then discontinue it. ___________________________________________

January 28, 2005 Human Rights Commission Wants Teddy Bear Sales Stopped Source: TheChamplainChannel (http://www.thechamplainchannel.com) MONTPELIER, Vt. -- Another group is weighing in on Vermont Teddy Bear's "Crazy for You" bear. The Vermont Human Rights Commission has asked the company to stop making and selling the Valentine's Day bear. Commission members say any profits the company makes should be donated to mental health agencies.The "Crazy for You" bear is dressed in a straightjacket and comes with commitment papers. Mental health advocates and others say the bear is insensitive toward people struggling with mental illness. Vermont Teddy Bear has vowed to keep selling the bear through Valentine's Day. Previous Stories: January 13, 2005: 'Crazy For You Bear' To Stay On Shelves Copyright 2005 by TheChamplainChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. __________________________________________

Posted by NSC on February 3 LETTER FROM ROBERT APPEL, HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, TO ELISABETH ROBERT January 27, 2005 Ms. Elisabeth Robert, President Vermont Teddy Bear Company 6655 Shelburne Road Shelburne, VT 05482 Re: "Crazy for You" Straight Jacketed Valentine's Product Dear Ms. Robert: On behalf of the Vermont Human Rights Commission, I write to express the Commissioners' concern and dismay about the marketing by your company of your Valentine's Day "Crazy for You" Straight Jacketed Teddy Bear product, which comes complete with commitment papers. This product is deeply hurtful and stigmatizing to a significant segment of Vermonters whose lives have been indelibly touched by psychiatric disorders. During a strategic planning process, the Commission recently identified discrimination against persons with psychiatric disabilities as an enforcement priority for the Vermont Human Rights Commission. Therefore, it is not surprising that when Commissioners met for their monthly meeting last week, they directed me to write you about this vexing issue. I have read with great interest both the local (and now national) press accounts of this conflict. Perhaps most disturbing to me is the apparent lack of understanding by your company of the real hurt and emotional turmoil your continued marketing of this stereotypical and stigmatizing product causes for those who have suffered from psychiatric conditions, along with their loved ones. To date, there has been no meaningful effort by your company to make amends to this affected community. As a matter of corporate responsibility, we suggest that you and your board of directors think of a meaningful way to make amends and attempt to mitigate the harm caused by this insensitive choice of product line. There are many community-based programs that assist persons with mental health issues. These agencies are struggling for adequate funding during this time of shrinking federal support for Medicaid funding. This dynamic is exacerbated by state budget issues that will make it difficult for the State of Vermont to more fully shoulder this financial burden. Perhaps a portion of the seemingly substantial profits that your company stands to make from all of this publicity could be diverted to directly assist those who struggle with mental illness. The Commission is not presently alleging that the production and marketing of the "Crazy for You" Straight Jacketed Teddy Bear is a violation of Vermont's Public Accommodation Act, which prohibits discrimination based on disability in the provisions of goods, services and benefits to the general public. Nonetheless, the Commission believes that this communication is necessary to discharge the Commission's statutory mandate to examine "the existence of practices of discrimination which detract from the enjoyment of full civil and human rights." We join the chorus imploring your company to immediately cease the production and marketing of this offensive product, and to exercise better judgment and social responsibility in future product choices. Further, we ask you to seriously consider taking immediate steps to mitigate any harm caused by this campaign. Sincerely yours, Robert Appel Executive Director Vermont Human Rights Commission Cc: Gov. Douglas Vermont Human Rights Commissioners Rep. Anne Donahue Bill Shubart, Pres. FAHC Board Vermont Media Outlets _________________________________________

January 29, 2005 A PLEA FOR CONSIDERATION To: Vermont Teddy Bear Company Subject: discriminatory teddy bears   You wouldn't sell a bear wearing an insulin pump, with a note saying, "You're so sweet, you made me diabetic."   You wouldn't put a bear in a wheelchair with a note saying, "You've swept me off my feet -- permanently."   Yet your company feels comfortable mocking another medical disability -- mental illness. "Commitment" is a harsh reality for people with these disorders and their friends and family; trivializing it is a sharp insult, especially coming from a company supposedly dedicated to fostering love and closeness. And I can you tell this bear is a personal insult, because commitment has happened to me.   I had to sign myself into the psychiatric ward of a hospital in May 2000. It was the best thing I've ever done; if I hadn't, I wouldn't be alive today. It was the first step in a recovery that will continue for the rest of my life. Today I work full-time and I'm earning a master's degree in forensic psychology, getting straight A's and planning to apply for PhD programs.   Your company trivializes the agony that I and millions of Americans have suffered. Mental illness is not cute; it is painful, humiliating, exhausting and relentless. You've gone beyond insensitivity to outright mockery. And I, and the millions of others who suffer from mental illness and their loved ones (who find appropriate, not mocking, ways to show their love) will not forget what you have done. Prejudice is bad for business. (signer requests privacy)   __________________________________________

February 6, 2005 TEDDY BEAR COMPANY WAVERS AFTER MEETING WITH VERMONT ADVOCATES Last week, the Vermont Teddy Bear company withdrew its straitjacketed teddy bear from its website, only to put it back a few days later with a label, "Sorry, Sold Out." Meanwhile, time is running out for the Valentine gift bear. The weeks-long controversy between Vermont's mental health advocates and the Vermont Teddy Bear Company (VTB) erupted on January 10 when advocate Jerry Goessel objected to the company's straitjacketed bear in a letter to the company's CEO, Elisabeth Robert. On Feb. 1, a broad coalition of advocates representing Vermont's mental health community, including psychiatric survivors, families, psychiatrists, and the state health administration, met with Ms. Robert. In an amicable outcome, Ms. Robert reportedly agreed to respect advocates' objections and to remove the bear from the line. Several weeks earlier, Vermont's governor, the Human Rights Commission, and other prominent officials had publicly denounced the bear as objectionable. The story has attracted national attention, with press and public sentiment generally critical of the company and approving of the advocates' objections. The unexpected reappearance of the bear on the VTB website raises questions about the company's good faith. From the outset, VTB has said the bear would sell only until Valentine's Day. Ms. Robert is scheduled to meet on Tuesday (Feb. 8) with representatives of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI). LINKS Editorial: "Simple Respect," Bennington Banner, Feb. 4, 2005. Article: "It Bears No Repeating," by David Gram, AP Writer, Bennington Banner, Feb. 4, 2005. "Mental Health Advocates Issue Statement," Feb. 3, 2005," posted at Norsehorse's Home Turf (Morgan W. Brown)

February 13, 2005 VERMONT TEDDY BEAR CONTROVERSY WINDS DOWN The straitjacketed Valentine-gift teddy bear has run its course. The bear is sold out, the manufacturer has apologized, and both sides of the controversy may have gained from the month-long surge of local and national publicity. The public exposure most likely boosted sales for the Vermont Teddy Bear Company (VTB). Reportedly, the bear sold out well before Valentine's Day. However, VTB's weeks-long holdout against the protesters surely hurt the company's image as seen by the mental health community's countless members. In the end, a united coalition of mental health advocates, aided by comments of some of Vermont's key leaders, managed to turn the ill-conceived bear from a minus into a plus. The psychiatric survivors based their legitimate concerns on first-hand experiences; in the process, they broadened public understanding beyond the issue of the bear. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Morgan W. Brown, a long-time Vermont advocate, is the main source for more commentary and updates. These appear on Morgan's website: Click Norsehorse's Home Turf Must-Read Articles Editorial, Burlington Free Press, Feb. 6, 2005 My Turn (Commentary), by Anne Averyt, Feb. 6, 2005. ______________________________________________

February 15, 2005 STRAITJACKETED TEDDY BEAR RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT ETHICS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS Teddy bear flap could become business school case study By DAVID GRAM, Associated Press February 14, 2005 Source: Boston Globe (http://www.boston.com) Click article: http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2005/02/14/teddy_bear_flap_could_become_business_school_case_study/ Read article: MONTPELIER, Vt. -- W. Michael Hoffman says he might use the controversy generated by the Vermont Teddy Bear Co.'s straitjacketed "Crazy For You" bear as a case study in one of his graduate seminars on business ethics. "Even though it has that kind of cutesy flavor, it brings up issues about corporate behavior and how corporations should be sensitive and interact with society," said the director of the Center for Business Ethics at Bentley College in Waltham, Mass. The decision to market the bear, and to keep doing so even in the face of widespread criticism that its straitjacket and "commitment report" made it insensitive toward people with mental illness, has put the Shelburne-based company under the spotlight among business ethicists and public relations executives around the country. Among the question he would ask students, Hoffman said, would be, "Does the company need to be more sensitive? ... Does the fact that the bear sold out mean you were right to put it on the market?" The company began advertising the "Crazy For You" bear in early January. When mental health advocacy groups raised an alarm, the company responded by saying it was sorry if it had offended anyone, but would continue selling the bears until its inventory had sold out. As the pressure built, with scoldings both from Republican Gov. James Douglas and the state Human Rights Commission, the company stuck to its guns. A company official did not respond to messages requesting an interview with CEO Elisabeth Robert. Robert, whose name is pronounced "ro-BEAR," gave a round of media interviews on Jan. 29, during which she said it was "a very difficult decision" not to withdraw the bear from the market. "I listened to customers, from a lot of feedback from our employees. These people are Vermonters who really don't like to be told what to do," Robert told The Burlington Free Press. That didn't score any points with the company's critics, some of whom said Robert had gotten a distorted view of the message they were trying to send. "No one's trying to tell them what to do," said Rep. Anne Donahue, R-Northfield, who has struggled with serious depression and is a leader of the group Vermont Psychiatric Survivors. "We're not demanding; we're pleading." For Robert, a 1978 Middlebury College graduate who joined Vermont Teddy Bear in 1995 and was appointed president and CEO two years later, the "Crazy For You" flap has been a black mark on what otherwise by all accounts has been a shining career. Her company's annual report for 2004 reported 38 percent growth in revenues for the year, to $56 million. The company offers a range of teddy bears and "BearGrams" geared mainly to adults looking to spend $70 or more for a token of their affection for a sweetheart. The controversy appears not to have harmed sales: The "Crazy For You" bears sold out last week. But there has been a personal cost to Robert. She gave up her seat last week on the board of Vermont's largest hospital, Burlington-based Fletcher Allen Health Care after both the board chairman and its CEO said disparaging the mentally ill is contrary to the mission of institution that serves them. And Hoffman said there could be longer-term costs to the company. "The capitalist system has a way of punishing companies that misbehave, either through lost sales or because some segments of society no longer want to invest" in the firm, he said. In the eye of Howard Rubenstein, a New York public relations executive, "the cost to them is dramatic. It hurts their reputation." He said whatever punishment may come the company's way may not be wholly undeserved. "That's a lesson in poor public relations. They violated every rule in the game on public relations," Rubenstein said. Putting a product on the market likely to stigmatize the mental ill was "just thoughtless," he said. But once the controversy was called to their attention, "their reaction should have been dramatically different." He said he was particularly troubled by the notion that no one would tell the company what to do. "In today's media environment, a lot of people can tell you what to do and you better analyze what they're saying. ... People will forgive a mistake but they won't forgive arrogance." One Vermont company with a reputation for well-oiled public relations is Green Mountain Power Corp., the state's second-largest electric company. Dorothy Schnure, the company's manager of corporate relations, said there are certain steps that should be followed when a public relations crisis looms. A quick response is important, she said, as is listening respectfully to critics. "If you have very important reasons for reaching your decision you need to clearly express why it is you believe you're right, why you have good reasons for disagreeing with whatever the opposition is." A willingness to admit mistakes is key, Schnure said. She described an incident in the late 1980s when a Vermont newspaper called to ask about electrical transformers, which contain significant quantities of oil, that were being stored in Montpelier very close to the Winooski River. "I told the (Barre-Montpelier) Times Argus, `Yeah, you´re right. We made a mistake.´ And the next day we had cranes in there so they could be stored safely away from the river." So far, it doesn't appear Vermont Teddy Bear has suffered any of the punishment Hoffman and Rubenstein described -- if its stock price is a guide. The company opened the year Jan. 3 at $6.45 per share. It was selling Monday at about $7.23. And anyone looking to buy a "Crazy For You" bear now most likely would pay a premium, with prices on the online auction service eBay ranging up through the multiple hundreds of dollars. That didn't much impress Hoffman, who noted that the scandal-plagued Enron Corp. code of ethics also was selling in the multiple hundreds of dollars for a time on eBay. "Just because it's selling on eBay doesn't mean it's something to be proud of," he said.  © Copyright 2005 Associated Press. (Reprinted using Fair Use standard)

February 18, 2005 WILL TEDDY BEAR BECOME CASE STUDY? Source: SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER (http://seattlepi.com) Thursday, February 17, 2005 Click here for article Read article: 'Crazy For You' teddy bear spurs questions By DAVID GRAM ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER MONTPELIER, Vt. -- Someday, the straitjacketed "Crazy For You" bear may be a case study in America's business schools. The decision by the Vermont Teddy Bear Co. to market the stuffed toy - and to keep doing so despite widespread criticism it was insensitive toward the mentally ill - has intrigued business ethicists and public relations executives around the country. Was the bear a brilliant marketing ploy or a big mistake? And did the company violate a code of ethics in a state where Ben & Jerry's ice cream set a high standard for socially responsible business with such causes as its save-the-rainforest campaign? "Even though it has that kind of cutesy flavor, it brings up issues about corporate behavior and how corporations should be sensitive and interact with society," said W. Michael Hoffman, director of the Center for Business Ethics at Bentley College in Waltham, Mass. Hoffman said he may use the bear as a case study in one of his graduate seminars on business ethics. Among the questions he would ask students would be, "Does the company need to be more sensitive?" and "Does the fact that the bear sold out mean you were right to put it on the market?" The company started selling the "Crazy for You" bears in January for Valentine's Day, and they sold out Feb. 3. The $69.95 brown, furry bear comes with a straitjacket and commitment papers that read: "Can't Eat. Can't Sleep. My Heart's Racing. Diagnosis: Crazy for You." It is one of dozens of novelty teddy bears the company sells, including a pom-pom-holding Cheerleader Bear, a stethoscope-wearing Doctor Bear, and a sunglasses-and-leather-clad Rocker Bear. Vermont Teddy Bear also offers gift pajamas and flowers. It has a factory in Shelburne and employs about 290 people, doing most of its business by mail and over the Internet. When mental health groups and Gov. James Douglas complained about the "Crazy for You" bear, the company responded by saying it was sorry if it had offended anyone, but would continue selling the bears until its inventory was gone. "We're not in a position to be told what we can and cannot sell," chief executive Elisabeth Robert (pronounced roh-BEAR) said during a round of interviews last month. Those remarks did not score any points with critics, especially considering the company is a member of the group Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility. "In Vermont of all places," said Ken Libertoff, executive director of the Vermont Association for Mental Health. He noted that the state was the first, in 1997, to require health insurers to cover mental illnesses on par with physical ailments. From a bottom-line standpoint, the company's strategy appears to be a winning one - at least in the short term. Vermont Teddy Bear said the media frenzy over the bears provided a big boost to sales during the Valentine's Day season. The company received 214,000 orders during January and the first half of February, a 33 percent increase from last year, though much of that growth was in the pajama line. (The company has not said how many Crazy for You bears it sold.) The company's stock climbed while the Crazy For You controversy raged, from $6.45 at the beginning of January to $7.23 last week. But there has been a personal cost to Robert, who joined Vermont Teddy Bear in 1995 and was appointed president and CEO two years later. She resigned from the board of Vermont's largest hospital, Fletcher Allen Health Care, after both its chairman and CEO said disparaging the mentally ill is contrary to its mission. Hoffman said there could be longer-term costs to the company. "The capitalist system has a way of punishing companies that misbehave, either through lost sales or because some segments of society no longer want to invest," he said. To Howard Rubenstein, a New York public relations executive, "the cost to them is dramatic. It hurts their reputation." Clarke Caywood, a professor of communications at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., said the company's stance "undercuts their good will, and they live on good will. They're trying to be warm and cuddly. What's warm and cuddly about a straitjacket?" Does the old saw that any publicity is good publicity apply here? No, said Paul Argenti, who specializes in corporate reputations at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and hopes to use the controversy as a classroom case study. "They're going to lose this battle eventually," he said. "It's just a question of when." Reprinted using Fair Use standard

January 23,2005 VERMONT TEDDY BEAR CONTACT INFORMATION Elisabeth Robert, CEO Vermont Teddy Bear Company 6655 Shelburne Road Shelburne, VT 05482 E-mail: LizR@vtbear.com Toll-free phone for bear comments: 1-888-502-1715 More info: Fax: 1-802-985-1304 (administrative) Fax: 1-802-985-1382 (customer service) Tel: 1-800-988-8277 (customer service) Email: nicolel@vtbear.com (Nicole L'Huillier, Public Relations Manager) _________________________________________

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