LOS ANGELES : GTE Says Workers Tried to Access Simpson Files

Telephone company workers curious about the O.J. Simpson murder case have been disciplined for trying unsuccessfully to access confidential phone records, a GTE spokesman said Monday.

“This type of action, even though it was unsuccessful, is a violation of the code of ethics of GTE,” spokesman Larry Cox said.

Cox said the Thousands Oaks-based company has met with most of the affected employees and is administering some forms of discipline, which could range from a verbal warning to outright dismissal. He declined to disclose the number of workers or type of discipline meted out. Union officials could not be reached for comment.

Cox said the workers did not gain access to the confidential files, because the company put certain phone records off limits to all but a handful of security officials after the slayings of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.