Anti-Gay Ft. Lauderdale Airport 'Prankster' ID'ed as Skycap
As a follow-up to this morning's post, here's more information from the Sun-Sentinel on the anti-gay Biblical broadcast played over the PA system at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport last week:
"Broward Mayor Josephus Eggelletion Jr. and Bob Bielek, interim director of the county aviation department, identified the prankster as Jethro Monestime, 23, a skycap who works for Superior Aircraft Services at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport. The officials said investigators talked with Monestime Sunday night and said he admitted playing the verse over the P.A. system twice. Monestime said it was a prank and that he had downloaded the verse onto his cell phone, then played it over the intercom. He said he was not aware a gay couple was in the airport terminal and said that was just a concidence and had no ill intent. County officials said BSO will turn over the results of its investigation to the Broward State Attorney's Office to determine if any charges should be filed. In addition, county officials said they would urge Superior Aircraft to terminate Monestime's employment."
There should be no question charges should be filed. The State Attorney's office should act quickly to determine what is appropriate.
Background
Gay Couple Receives Biblical Threat at Florida Baggage Claim [tr]
Ft. Lauderdale Airport Biblical Broadcast Under Investigation [tr]
Breaking: Ft. Lauderdale Anti-Gay Airport Broadcaster Caught... [tr]
Andy, please - Reconsider that last sentence of your post. We should never encourage the government to take action against an individual without "paus[ing] to think about it." Logical thought and justice are mutually dependent. Reason is our friend, regardless of whom we think was injured by an individual's actions.
Posted by: GM | May 7, 2007 11:47:31 AM
I agree, you're absolutely right.
Posted by: andy | May 7, 2007 11:50:09 AM
In this era of Homeland Security, people have gone to jail for less. He can call it a "prank" all he wants, but it was a death threat. He should not get a pass because it was a Bible verse.
But, he'll probably claim that his right to religious freedom is being infringed. Look for him on Fox.
Posted by: sam | May 7, 2007 11:52:44 AM
Bullshit! At the very least this asswipe ought to be fired for misuse of airport equipment. I'm sure he violated TSA safety regulations and he should be charged for it. I'm also pissed he thought it would be okay if no gay people were in the terminal? I hope he still has his "sense of humor" when he standing on the umemployment line!
Posted by: dcmarty | May 7, 2007 11:55:16 AM
Charges to be filed? Holy. Crap. You guys scare me.
Posted by: Dan | May 7, 2007 11:58:15 AM
I think he should be fired. I don't think that charges should be brought and even if he did break some sort of law that he should get probation and some sort of community service. Hopefully, the community service will open his eyes to how the gay community really is. That we aren't some threat or a bunch of "sodomites.".
Posted by: Matt | May 7, 2007 11:58:23 AM
Charges? Come on. He didn't hurt anyone, he just offended people and abused his access to airport facilities. He should be fired for using the intercom for any prank, regardless of what was broadcast. But he's free to quote any Bible verse he wants as long as he's not using airport resources or time to do so. I think the scarier thing is that so many people have access to the airport intercom. Passengers have to undergo extensive screening, but a SKYCAP can access an intercom that is heard all over the airport? No. That needs to change. Airport intercom messages should be screened by a single individual.
Posted by: Brian | May 7, 2007 12:02:22 PM
I agree. He was unaware of gay people in the airport? That's a load of BS. The intent was to offend people with their own skewed views and not get caught. There should be no pause for charges. I'm flying into Ft. Lauderdale tomorrow for vacation and this situation has made me very angry!
Posted by: Dave | May 7, 2007 12:03:13 PM
I googled "Jefhro Monestime" hoping to find something more about his guy, but there is nothing. I tried with just the last name and it turned up a number of hits, mostly for people in Florida (and elsewhere) with the name. Most of the ones in Florida seem to be Haitian immigrants. My guess would be that "Jefhro" is Haitian (or of Haitian descent).
If this assumption is true, then we have a case of one minority (i.e., black, descendant of slaves) discriminating against another (i.e., gay people). How sad.
One more question... why in the hell is this Bible verse available for download to a cell phone?
Posted by: Jonathon | May 7, 2007 12:03:13 PM
What do you expect from a guy named Jefhro ?
Posted by: M | May 7, 2007 12:03:55 PM
His name is Jethro, not Jefhro... it was a simple typo. Let's try not to jump to any conclucions and condemn an entire nationality.
Personally, I'm more suspicious of people named Jethro.
Posted by: chrisb | May 7, 2007 12:05:51 PM
OK, here we go...
Posted by: Jason | May 7, 2007 12:07:07 PM
Not to gloat, but this came down as I predicted. Yippie!
Posted by: anon | May 7, 2007 12:11:13 PM
Charges? What's the charge..."Asshole in the 1st degree?" Please spare me with some claim that this was a "threat." It wasn't.
This guy is obviously a douchebag and simply needs to be fired. That's it.
And what's the big deal with the PA system being so accessible? It's an airport...there's an announcement nearly every two minutes. You can't be serious about having each announcement "screened by a single individual."
Posted by: Patrick W. | May 7, 2007 12:29:18 PM
Here is the contact info for the company.
Superior Aircraft Services corporate offices:
1100 Lee Wagner Blvd. Suite 207B
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
telephone: 954.359.4525
fax: 954.359.4523
Posted by: don | May 7, 2007 12:29:32 PM
Right on, Chris. That name just scares me too. LOL! But hey, isn't the mayor's name a little creepy too? JOSEPHUS? EGGELATION? And a JUNIOR TO BOOT???
I have to agree with DCMARTY about one thing for sure: "...he thought it would be okay if no gay people were in the terminal?" As if!
I'm most concerned of all with the common language being used by the Sun-Sentinel, calling this asshole a "prankster". I'd hardly call his action a prank. I'd call it malicious intent to evoke fear, hardly a prank at all.
Additionally, this is what truly troubles me and should trouble anyone about morons that think it's okay to evangelize something so subject to interpretation:
"The unauthorized announcement quoted from Leviticus 20:13, which, depending on the translation of the Bible, states that: 'If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death.'"
DEPENDING. Fucking DEPENDING! I do hope that free speech will triumph over this and people will expose the absurdity of these dangerous sects of christianists that think it's okay to spout rhetoric that doesn't even come from their own heads. These types of "devout christians" are pathetic tools, and by regularly exposing their stupidity, should be rendered ineffective. As a nation we should attempt to educate them...and if that doesn't work, defenestration would be just fine with me.
Posted by: FizziekruntNT | May 7, 2007 12:39:59 PM
Charges to be filed? Holy. Crap. You guys scare me.
Posted by: Dan | May 7, 2007 11:58:15 AM
What's wrong with filing charges? Just because the message was read from a book doesn't mean it's ok.
Try reading Koran 9:5 on an airport intercom and see what happens:
“Fight and kill the disbelievers wherever you find them, take them captive, harass them, lie in wait and ambush them using every stratagem of war.”
My bet is that they'll shoot you first and ask questions later. The guy should be treated like the terrorist that he is and get sent to gitmo.
Posted by: Anon | May 7, 2007 12:52:35 PM
Overhead announcements should be screened... if not by a single individual, then by at least SOMEONE. That's how it works in lots of other places... you call the operator, tell them what you want broadcast over the intercom, and then the operator does it. Direct access to intercoms in places like airports is a bad idea.
Posted by: Brian | May 7, 2007 1:07:32 PM
time to make an example of Jefhro
public and government buildings should have NO ignorant religious quotes, verses, posters, etc, etc... Least of all an airport, where mankind has harnessed flight...then to hear a phase from the dark ages on the airport PA.... ironic
Posted by: vince | May 7, 2007 1:12:12 PM
you people who think there are no possible charges must also be those so-called gay republicans who think the government should have no authority over anything (except our rights). He improperly used an announcement system in a highly secured place, and he used it to play a phrase about people deserving death, in a city that has a large gay resident and tourist population. His intent is rather obvious.
He should get a trial/hearing, but he shouldn't be excused because he claims it was a prank. why pick that specific bible verse?
and as the other poster said, if it had been a verse from the Koran about killing infidels, O'Reilly would be talking about locking up all Muslims or barring them for working at airports. People here just want him prosecuted if he did violate a law. If nothing happens to him the lesson to others like him is...it's ok to make fun of gay people and threaten them with bible verses.
Posted by: nycredneck | May 7, 2007 1:13:24 PM
The moron was "not aware" a gay couple was in an airport in Fort Lauderdale? Was it his first day in town or something?
Posted by: Dac | May 7, 2007 1:15:34 PM
I don't care if it was played from a download on his cell phone. Pre-recorded or not, this man was responsible for playing a death threat over a public PA system. At the very least, he should be fired. At most, charges should most definitely be filed.
Posted by: Barbara Bennett from Redbook magazine | May 7, 2007 1:16:16 PM
On the surface, I don't think this rises to the occasion of charges being filed. Sure, in this day and age of hyper-security, people have been arrested for less - but is that necessarily a good thing? I would argue no.
That said, he was an employee who played a very rude joke and broke company policy - at the very least. He should be fired, for sure.
Posted by: Ryan | May 7, 2007 1:29:30 PM
This was terrorism - plain and simple. He should be charged accordingly.
Its ridiculous that anybody would not think he should be charged for this. Why should terrorist acts against gay people not be treated the same as terrorism against any other group?
Posted by: Ray | May 7, 2007 1:42:10 PM
Fired: yes
Charges: No - what for? for being an idiot?
@nycredneck
This has nothing to do with the role of government or being a democrat/republican/other. This is about common sense. Some stupid dude misused a piece of equipment. Firing the guy is the sensible solution and puts out the right message. Filing charges is an over-reaction and a waste of taxpayers money.
@Ray
Terrorism??? wow - didn't think any bush administration employees read this blog.
Posted by: yoshi | May 7, 2007 1:53:31 PM