Joe Rickey Hundley, the man accused of slapping a toddler on a flight last week, has been fired from his job, reports say. 60-year-old Hundley of Hayden, Idaho was a group vice president with the company and held an executive position with Unitech Composites and Structures.
KMSP quotes a statement by AGC Aerospace & Defense in which they announce Hundley's termination.
“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,” AGC reps state.
As we
told you earlier, the incident occurred on a Delta flight from Minnesota to Atlanta, with the attack on 33-year-old Jessica Bennett's son Jonah motivated by him crying.
Mrs. Bennett has explained that he was intoxicated at the time, having consumed several alcoholic drinks on the plane. A racial epithet was used to describe the Bennetts' adopted African-American toddler.
The man allegedly fell from his seat as he tried to approach Bennett earlier, before reiterating the racial slur describing her son. The child was then slapped near his eye and left bleeding.
A United States Air Marshal intervened, and questioned Hundley upon landing. The parents are dubbing his comments and aggressive behavior “racist and hateful.”
As the FBI stepped in to investigate the incident, Hundley has been charged with assault in federal court. If convicted, his offense is punishable with up to a year in prison.
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