A former Berks County, Pa., corrections officer who was fired in April after she appeared in Playboy wants her job back, in part so she can earn enough money to help her keep the family farm. Heather Hull says she dyed her hair and used a fake name in a bid not to be recognized.
“You follow a dream and take a chance to see what happens. I always wanted to be a model then I lose the best paying job that I could possibly have,” said Heather Hull.
Hull used to make $41,000 a year working as a guard at the Berks County Prison. But her Playboy appearance led to her firing.
Hull, a self-described country girl who still lives on the family farm in Schuylkill County, was off duty when she went to New York in July 2006 for a Playboy photo shoot. The Donatelli Modeling Agency in Reading set it up.
Then, a small photo of a partially nude Hull was used in the Employee of the Month feature in the March issue of the magazine. An insert photo showed her in a borrowed officer’s uniform. Hull had dyed her hair brown and and used her maiden name.
“I did everything I could do to make it go unseen,” Hull said. “I could have my dream and I could have my job, but that didn’t work.”
Word got out at the prison that Hull was in Playboy. When the issue hit stands in mid-February, Hull was put on administrative leave. Two months later, following a grievance process, she was fired. Prison and county officials won’t comment, citing the fact that it’s a personnel matter.
“I think they overreacted. It could have been handled so much better,” Hull said.
The Berks County corrections officers are members of Teamsters Local 429. Prison officials told Hull she violated the union contract agreement with “conduct unbecoming of an officer.”
“I don’t think she engaged in conduct unbecoming. There was no harm to the prison,” said union attorney Mark Featherman.
Featherman said he’s not surprised by the prison’s decision but doesn’t think it’s right.
“The prison really has no business interfering in the lives of employees when they’re not working,” he said. “It’s quite hypocritical for the prison to say posing in magazine is immoral when they let the magazine go into the prison and let employees read the magazine.”
Hull is not working and she said she is growing concerned about not having an income. She’s afraid she might lose the family farm.
“It scares me because this is my family’s land. I don’t want to lose it. I don’t want to let my family down,” Hull said. “I’ve never done anything like this before. I’d just like to get my job back.”
The case will now go to arbitration. A third-party arbitrator will decide whether Hull should get her job back and receive back pay. A spokesman for Playboy said the magazine backs Hull.
About model: Heather Hull
Age: 28
Residence: Eldred Township, Schuylkill County.
Education: Graduated from Tri-Valley High School, Valley View, in 1997.
Work experience: United Metal Receptacle Corp., Pottsville, press operator, lock steamer and sheet worker, 1997-2001; Berks County Prison correctional officer, 2001 until Feb. 13.
Work status: Suspended Feb. 13 and fired April 11 for appearing in two photos in the March issue of Playboy magazine.
