Man charged with slapping toddler appears to be out of a job

[jsr]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/man-charged-slapping-toddler-job-18526910

Man Charged With Slapping Toddler May Be out of a Job
MINNEAPOLIS February 18, 2013 (AP)

A man charged with slapping a toddler on a Minneapolis-to-Atlanta flight appears to be out of a job.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Saturday that AGC Aerospace and Defense had suspended 60-year-old Joe Rickey Hundley, of Hayden, Idaho, as president of its Unitech Composites and Structures.

On Sunday, AGC issued a statement saying that, while not referring to Hundley by name, calls reports of an executive's behavior on personal travel "offensive and disturbing" and says he "is no longer employed with the company." The statement does not say whether the executive quit or was fired.

Hundley was charged with assault last week after he was accused of slapping a 2-year-old boy and called him a racial slur during the Feb. 8 flight. His attorney has said he will plead not guilty.

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http://www.unitechcomp.com/

In over 30 years of support to the aerospace industry, Unitech has earned a reputation for the fabrication of complex aircraft components. We fabricate components as small as brackets and internal ducting or as large as primary support structures such as wings to serve civil, military, commercial and space programs. Some of our complex assemblies contain hundreds of individual components.

Statement Regarding Investigation of Employee Conduct

“Reports of the recent behavior of one of our business unit executives while on personal travel are offensive and disturbing. 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."

“We wish to emphasize that the behavior that has been described is contradictory to our values, embarrassing and does not in any way reflect the patriotic character of the men and women of diverse backgrounds who work tirelessly in our business.”

[KingFlorez]

1. Good

Actions have consequences and this is a good one.

[Revanchist]

2. Not surprised in the least.

No company wants that kind of publicity, especially from a high-level employee.

[TheMightyFavog]

3. Why do I have the funny feeling he was given "early retirement?"

And got a nice parachute?

[Benton D Struckcheon]

4. Whoa!

As soon as I saw your name I knew what it referred to! I thought I was the last person on the planet who remembered this most-worthy-of-all-the-dieties-that-evah-was.

You may now continue with the thread...

[Initech]

5. He'll probably spend retirement behind bars for first degree assault.

I can't imagine there's a jury in the world that would argue in favor of this asshole.

[politicat]

9. Not to diminish what he did, but if his contract said X pension and Y retirement,

Then the company had to pay that out. Right now, he is a legally innocent person who was a private citizen on personal travel. If his contract was like most CEO contracts, then firing him had specific rules already spelled out. (The advantage of being at that level is actual contracts rather than assumptions.)

We don't want companies deciding that being outed or getting a chronic illness is a reason to break employment contracts. We don't want them having the power to police our private lives and break our contracts if we behave in a way they don't like whilst not on the clock.

It's not a principle if we only follow it when it's convenient.

He absolutely deserves to be arrested, arraigned, charged and to stand trial. I think it will be a short trial, and he will be found guilty, but that's why we have a legal system. While I enjoy schadenfreude as much as the next person, I don't want the restoration of justice outsourced to the PR department of a corporation.

[Ikonoklast]

28. And many of those contracts are abrogated by the employee signer under a 'morals' clause.

Do something as bone-headedly stupid and illegal as what that jerk did, generate a ton of bad publicity for your employer through your stupidity, and....

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

10. Probably

[BainsBane]

6. suspended isn't fired

It's temporary, and it doesn't say if he was suspended with or without pay. I'm guessing it's with pay since he's salaried.

[bluestate10]

8. At the executive level, terminations happen fast. The bastard was either fired or forced

to resign.

[lunasun]

11. Their corp.name was dragged into the dirt world wide with this terrible act = he's toast

they probably were already aware of his issues for awhile already
According to Virginia state court records, Hundley was arrested in 2007 following a fight with his girlfriend. Initially charged with simple assault, carrying a concealed weapon, and public intoxication, Hundley subsequently pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor assault rap. Hundley told TSG that the weapon he allegedly brandished was a wine corkscrew.

[bluestate10]

7. It is high time that a bastard like that get the message that he doesn't live in a vacuum.

The right move by his company. I have been on many flights where babies have gone nuts crying on approach to airports, as a civilized person I understand what is going on with the baby and mind my own business.

[customerserviceguy]

14. What I don't understand

is why parents subject both babies and their fellow passengers to this. Not to defend anything the guy did, but I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often.

An infant doesn't benefit from air travel.

[Scootaloo]

15. Because you can't put them in the overhead compartment.

Really, that's just a stupid question. Because to travel across the country, you fly. And if you have a child, that child comes with you. What's hard to understand?

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

32. Clearly teleportation is the way to go. Unless of course like in "The Fly" there's the

risk of the infant's body being turned inside out on the other side. Then there's catapult for those lazy ass parents who can't afford to teleport the child. That post you replied to has got to be one of the goddamn stupidest wastes of band with I've read in a while.

[ljm2002]

18. WTF!!!

You're a customer service guy? Wow, I'll bet you just ooze empathy with those unfortunate to get you as a service rep.

What I don't understand is why airlines don't keep a few small, disposable baby bottles filled with water, to give to parents if needed. A lot of parents traveling by air for the first time with babies or toddlers don't know that sudden altitude changes can really mess with their ears, which is what makes them cry. Older children and adults can chew gum or work their jaws enough to release the pressure; babies don't know that, but giving them something to suck on can and often does help.

[CreekDog]

20. an infant doesn't benefit when their parents leave them thousands of miles away

i mean, can we get a clue here?

people need to travel sometimes for lots of good reasons.

and if people need to travel, and they have an infant, the infant needs to be with them.

i'm sorry for you that even though you were once a crying baby that you can't give another child the chance to cry in public just as you did (and others put up with) when you were an infant.

jeez.

i hate this anti kid stuff. most DUers to their credit think that is BS, but there are a handful here who just think they can decree that babies don't belong in their world because they are annoying or something.

[Number23]

23. "I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often."

What a sad, sick world you must occupy that you are "surprised" that more grown ass men don't assault babies for doing what they are supposed to damn do -- cry when they are in pain.

[noiretextatique]

25. not mention calling toddlers the n-word

it's really surprising that doesn't happen more oftern

[Number23]

38. I know, right? Some of the anti-baby/kid stuff around here is so extraordinarily stupid

I think it may be indicative of something almost pathological.

[noiretextatique]

39. agreed, but not almost

it is totally pathological...and absolutely appalling. i can see it, and i don't have any children. how are your angels, btw?

[Number23]

40. Marvelous. Maddening. Adorable.

The whole she-bang.

[noiretextatique]

43. excellent!

tell them auntie karen says hello

[Number23]

44. I most definitely will, sweetheart

And you keep being your fabulous self.

[noiretextatique]

45. girl...i have been through it

working for a really CRAZY non-profit, moved three times since July, and still waiting for my case to settle, which should happen very soon.

[Number23]

46. really??!

waiting for my case to settle, which should happen very soon.

What do you think the outcome will be?? $$$ or the simple satisfaction of letting some assholes know that you don't get to treat people like crap just because they look a bit different from you?

[noiretextatique]

24. you're a "cutomerserviceguy" and you're surprised more people don't slap toddlers

and call them the n-word?

[uponit7771]

35. +1

[jberryhill]

27. "An infant doesn't benefit from air travel"

You have one heck of a sense of humor.

About a month before my first child was born, I accepted a job offer on the other side of the country. Because of some complications with the delivery, my wife needed recovery time that extended beyond my start date for the job. So, I drove out to start work, and they flew in a few weeks after.

Just what was supposed to happen in that situation, in your mind?

[LanternWaste]

37. I'd imagine it's because the parents need to fly somewhere...

"why parents subject both babies and their fellow passengers to this..."

I'd imagine it's because the parents need to fly somewhere and leaving the infant behind is not a practical option.



"An infant doesn't benefit from air travel..."
You will of course allow us an objective measure from which your statement of absolutism arises from, yes?

[Dorian Gray]

41. Sure they do

They benefit when they see friends and family in other states.

Kids can be brats at time, but it's foolish to think that parents will stay at home out of fear that their children might cry and some stranger might slap him or her. Really? Who behaved worse? The child? Or the adult who hit that child?

[sorefeet]

12. They cry because of the pressure

in their ears, they don't know how to pop them and it hurts.

[NMDemDist2]

33. hold their noses

i worked as an elevator operator and when the babies got fussy, i told moms to hold their noses. makes them swallow and usually relives the pressure

[NBachers]

13. I read the story at the link. This guy needs to be severely dealt with.

[Mnpaul]

16. He has a history of violence

And probably won't be running around with a gun anytime soon.

Multiple news sources have reported that Hundley was arrested in 2007 on charges of simple assault, carrying a concealed weapon and public intoxication after a fight with his girlfriend
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/21228118/minn-mom-toddler-slapped-by-drunk-man-on-flight

These people were on their way to a funeral. What an ass.

[liberalmuse]

17. I knew it!

I told my sister today when she mentioned this story that he was probably some sort of executive. I have allergies and need to wear earplugs upon take off and descent because my head feels like it will explode with the pressure. I always feel so bad for the kids I hear start to cry when the flight descends and always hope they're not feeling what I'm feeling.

I'm glad he's out of a job. Frankly, I wouldn't want a racist POS, never mind a child abuser working for me. Just disgusting.

[wickerwoman]

19. Yeah, screaming babies are irritating but

it sounds like this one only started crying while the plane was descending. That's like five, ten minutes tops he had to put up with it and he would have been off the plane. It's not like the baby was screaming for hours.

[lpbk2713]

21. He's damn lucky he's not out of a few teeth as well.

A lot of people would not have just stood and watched that happen.

[Number23]

22. Good. Now off to jail with the ass boil

Five years or $100K fine should just about do it. And when he's released, a life time ban on flying.

[Smilo]

26. Good, but

no need to worry about him, I am sure there was a clause in his contract that said he would receive a nice golden handshake no matter what he did.

[indepat]

29. This firing runs counter to my jaundiced view that the beautiful people are not like you and I,

that they don't suffer the same consequences for their aberrant behavior as you and I would.

[JustJoe]

30. What does "patriotic" have to do with it??

“We wish to emphasize that the behavior that has been described is contradictory to our values, embarrassing and does not in any way reflect the patriotic character of the men and women of diverse backgrounds who work tirelessly in our business.”

[lpbk2713]

36. Hundley probably has a "Support the Troops" sticker on the back of his SUV.

... just like a good rethuglican.

[ruffburr]

31. I'd Bet that-

This a--hole is a REPUBLICAN,Ya Think?

[BlueStreak]

34. Where is the compassion for wealthy corporate Presidents here?

Put yourself in his shoes. He was probably scheduled to fly in the company's private jet and only learned at the last minute that, due to mechanical problems, he would have to endure the rabble on one of those horrible flights that commoners take.

Who among us, in his circumstances, wouldn't assault a baby and launch into a tirade of racial epithets?