Man accused of slapping crying boy on Delta flight is out of a job

[joseephuss]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/18/travel/crying-boy-assault/index.html

Man accused of slapping crying boy on Delta flight is out of a job

(CNN) -- An Idaho man accused of uttering a racial slur and slapping a crying 19-month-old boy on a Delta Air Lines flight is now out of a job.

Joe Rickey Hundley of Hayden, Idaho, was charged with assaulting a minor in the February 8 incident. His company, which initially suspended him, said Sunday that Hundley no longer has his job.

"Reports of the recent behavior of one of our business unit executives while on personal travel are offensive and disturbing," said a statement from AGC Aerospace & Defense. "We have taken this matter very seriously and worked diligently to examine it since learning of the matter on Friday afternoon.

"As of Sunday, the executive is no longer employed with the company."

AGC Aerospace & Defense supplies technology and other services to the military and businesses.

Hundley's attorney, Marcia Shein, said her client is being unfairly portrayed.

"This has escalated into a racist issue and I want to be clear he is not a racist," Shein said.

She said that Hundley is dealing with unspecified issues.

The attorney for the child's family, John Thompson, said the family has not decided yet whether to sue. But he said Monday family members believe Hundley should be punished beyond the loss of his job and possible one-year federal prison sentence.

"The family wants to make sure that Mr. Hundley and anyone like Mr. Hundley never does something like that again," he said on CNN's "Starting Point."

[BraveHeartFan]

If that had been my child then losing his job would have been the least of his worries.

[BringBackThatOleTimeBoys]

Don't know if it's always been this way or not, but there seems to be more stories of people that can't control their temper and/or exercise common sense.

Considering the position he recently held, you would definitely expect he would know better.

[vta]

If that had been my child then losing his job would have been the least of his worries.

Even not being my child, I might have given him a crack if I had witnessed him doing that. Cranky old coot.

[Doomsday101]

uncalled for slapping a crying child, now slapping the mom or dad for sitting there acting as if it is no big deal now that justifiable. :D

[CanadianCowboysFan]

Don't know if it's always been this way or not, but there seems to be more stories of people that can't control their temper and/or exercise common sense.

Considering the position he recently held, you would definitely expect he would know better.

I believe it is caused by the negativity of the internet. We are constantly negative, write things we normally wouldn't to people, call them names, stupid, retarded etc, We used to keep it separate but now, it just pervades everything.

Society has become incredibly negative.

That being said, the charges have not been proven so other than the company covering its own behind and hanging its employee before trial, there really is no cause to fire him.

[ABQCOWBOY]

This is interesting. Aside from opinion on the stupid level associated with slapping this child, it is interesting that AGC would fire this person for that. If AGC did, in fact, fire him for that offense, then AGC will probably get sued as well. I don't think it's legal to fire somebody over something like that, especially if the former employee was, as is described in the article, was on personal travel.


I wonder how this will play out?

[CanadianCowboysFan]

This is interesting. Aside from opinion on the stupid level associated with slapping this child, it is interesting that AGC would fire this person for that. If AGC did, in fact, fire him for that offense, then AGC will probably get sued as well. I don't think it's legal to fire somebody over something like that, especially if the former employee was, as is described in the article, was on personal travel.


I wonder how this will play out?

Depends on his contract (such as it having a clause not making company look bad) I suppose but seems to me, until he is found guilty, hard to assume he is guilty.

[Future]

Don't know if it's always been this way or not, but there seems to be more stories of people that can't control their temper and/or exercise common sense.

Considering the position he recently held, you would definitely expect he would know better.
There are also a lot more idiots out that evoke this kind of anger.

...That's not necessarily the case here, but in general, I think there are a lot more mouthbreathers out there. I know there are a lot of times I'd like to smack someone up.

[BringBackThatOleTimeBoys]

This is interesting. Aside from opinion on the stupid level associated with slapping this child, it is interesting that AGC would fire this person for that. If AGC did, in fact, fire him for that offense, then AGC will probably get sued as well. I don't think it's legal to fire somebody over something like that, especially if the former employee was, as is described in the article, was on personal travel.


I wonder how this will play out?

Something like this has happened just a few miles from Cowboys Stadium.

The reputed World's most notorious troller (AFAIK, he did it off hours) has exposed last fall and immediately got fired from his job in Arlington.

Story > http://www.marketplace.org/topics/tech/reddit-gawker-trolling-and-dangers-online-anonymity

My takeaway from this is nobody should assume bad behavior online or in public won't catch up with them.

[WV Cowboy]

If that had been my child then losing his job would have been the least of his worries.

The guy is just a drunk, and a coward.

If the Dad had been there, he would not have done a thing.

Complete putz and a loser.

[joseephuss]

Depends on his contract (such as it having a clause not making company look bad) I suppose but seems to me, until he is found guilty, hard to assume he is guilty.

Why is it hard to assume he is guilty?

[ABQCOWBOY]

Why is it hard to assume he is guilty?

Can't speak for CCF but if you assume he is guilty and fire him based on that assumption, if it's found that he is not guilty, then you open yourself to legal action and that's not smart.

[BringBackThatOleTimeBoys]

If his former company made sure there were plenty of witnesses to the act, it would seem that company is safe.

Then it would be court costs of a lawsuit vs potential costs of lost business.

[CanadianCowboysFan]

If his former company made sure there were plenty of witnesses to the act, it would seem that company is safe.

Then it would be court costs of a lawsuit vs potential costs of lost business.

that was all they cared about, not that it is wrong to care only about that but that is all it was

[BringBackThatOleTimeBoys]

Embarrassing a firm has parted individuals from companies in the past, esp if they are high in the corporate structure.

And any athlete that gets in a scandal loses sponsors.

[joseephuss]

Can't speak for CCF but if you assume he is guilty and fire him based on that assumption, if it's found that he is not guilty, then you open yourself to legal action and that's not smart.

That is different from it being hard to assume he is guilty. I am not saying anyone should assume he is guilty, but it isn't hard to make that assumption.

Something tells me that this guy was already treading water at his company and was going to be fired eventually.

[CanadianCowboysFan]

Embarrassing a firm has parted individuals from companies in the past, esp if they are high in the corporate structure.

And any athlete that gets in a scandal loses sponsors.

"good" conduct is usually in the contracts or they usually negotiate a buy out.

[CanadianCowboysFan]

That is different from it being hard to assume he is guilty. I am not saying anyone should assume he is guilty, but it isn't hard to make that assumption.

Something tells me that this guy was already treading water at his company and was going to be fired eventually.

likely true

I wonder what the firm considered worse, the fact he slapped a child or the fact he called the child a name (allegedly)

[BringBackThatOleTimeBoys]

The headquarters of the company is in Oklahoma City - Oklahoma is a right-to-work state.

This means they can let anyone go for any reason or no reason. The caveat is if the company treated him unfairly - stuff like his race, age, gender, etc.

[CliffnMesquite]

Children should be in the cargo hold.

[BraveHeartFan]

The guy is just a drunk, and a coward.

If the Dad had been there, he would not have done a thing.

Complete putz and a loser.


This is probably completely true.

[CanadianCowboysFan]

The guy is just a drunk, and a coward.

If the Dad had been there, he would not have done a thing.

Complete putz and a loser.

Coward maybe, being drunk does not make you a "drunk", if so probably 95% of the male population would be classified as a "drunk".

[burmafrd]

Coward maybe, being drunk does not make you a "drunk", if so probably 95% of the male population would be classified as a "drunk".

why is it no surprise that you are defending a man that in front of dozens of witnesses slapped a child?

Even if some lawyer somehow gets him off in court, he has no chance of winning in civil court. Even you should be able to figure that out.
The company did the right thing in this day and age. It is really hilarious watching you do the 2 step trying to defend him.

[CanadianCowboysFan]

why is it no surprise that you are defending a man that in front of dozens of witnesses slapped a child?

Even if some lawyer somehow gets him off in court, he has no chance of winning in civil court. Even you should be able to figure that out.
The company did the right thing in this day and age. It is really hilarious watching you do the 2 step trying to defend him.

You are either obtuse or really dumb. I hope for your sake, it is the former.

I am not defending him other than pointing out being drunk does not make you "a drunk". Come on marine, even in your black/white world there must be a shade of gray.

You have no idea if he could win in a civil court or not. For all you know, the boy's mother is full of it and just trying to get face time on TV. Last time I checked, you weren't there any more than I was.

[Coy]

If that had been my child then losing his job would have been the least of his worries.

:hammer:

[BlueStar3398]

Grouchy old coot. He needs to ride in the cargo area. (or take a road trip next time).

[BringBackThatOleTimeBoys]

This post in not serious

In Anger Management, Adam Sandler was duped into Air Rage - a setup.

Then he was sentenced to do therapy simply to generate business for the psychologist (Jack Nicholson) ... tried to keep this sentence indefinite.

I don't think anything like this happened in this instance, although the treatment Jack Nicholson gave would be punishment enough. :D

[muck4doo]

Guy deserves it. You never slap a baby in that situation. You're supposed to shake it.

[ethiostar]

Wow, just, wow. The guy would not have made it off that plane in one piece if that was my child. If not me, my wife would have put a serious hurt on that man. Even if it wasn't my child, I don't think I would have had the self-control to sit there and witness what he did without doing something about it. I wonder how passengers who witnessed his act reacted.


As for him getting fired, if he is "at will employee", like I am, the company doesn't really need much of a reason to let him go.

[WV Cowboy]

Coward maybe, being drunk does not make you a "drunk", if so probably 95% of the male population would be classified as a "drunk".

Yea, I really went out on a limb there, and thought that a guy that drank to the point of harassing a woman who was by herself with a baby, and then striking that baby, .. only had a drink or two. This guy is a drunk, and he is good at it from all of his experience.

We have all seen them, .. drunk again in public. They are the ones that think we don't know. They think they can act like they are not drunk so we won't know. They only fool themselves.

I don't know what kind of world you live in but 95% of the men I know do not get drunk in public. I don't know what they do in private, but they do not get drunk when out in public.

So I'll stand by what I called him, a drunk and a coward.

[Yakuza Rich]

Idaho is an at will employment state. If they want to fire him because they think he picked his nose, they can.

Unless he has some type of contract deal (unlikely) and that contract protects against that (very unlikely), then he doesn't have a leg to stand on.

Best case scenario for him is he was employed under a contract and he can negotiate a cash settlement. Again, very unlikely.




YR

[BringBackThatOleTimeBoys]

Seriously, I don't understand the defense on this thread for this man.

When you work for someone, it's understood a level of conduct and performance is required for compensation.

It's unusual, but becoming a spectacle has it's consequences.

[joseephuss]

Wow, just, wow. The guy would not have made it off that plane in one piece if that was my child. If not me, my wife would have put a serious hurt on that man. Even if it wasn't my child, I don't think I would have had the self-control to sit there and witness what he did without doing something about it. I wonder how passengers who witnessed his act reacted.


Well, the "fasten safety belt" sign was still on, so there was little the other passengers could do. :)

[CanadianCowboysFan]

Yea, I really went out on a limb there, and thought that a guy that drank to the point of harassing a woman who was by herself with a baby, and then striking that baby, .. only had a drink or two. This guy is a drunk, and he is good at it from all of his experience.

We have all seen them, .. drunk again in public. They are the ones that think we don't know. They think they can act like they are not drunk so we won't know. They only fool themselves.

I don't know what kind of world you live in but 95% of the men I know do not get drunk in public. I don't know what they do in private, but they do not get drunk when out in public.

So I'll stand by what I called him, a drunk and a coward.

funny, I thought the same about you

the men you know never say bad things about women, never get wasted in public etc

[WV Cowboy]

the men you know never say bad things about women, never get wasted in public etc

Why thank you, .. rather proud of that.

It sets a good example for our sons, and our women seem to like it better that way too.