DHS Praises TSA’s Swift Handling of Sexual Assault Case
Erica Berardi September 04, 2015
TSA Chief Peter Neffenger hails DHS and TSA for a quick firing of a TSA agent charged with allegedly molesting a flyer.
The Department Homeland Security (DHS) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) acted swiftly to fire an officer charged with molesting a LaGuardia Airport (LGA) flyer, TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger told reporters Thursday.
“The reason we have high standards is so when we find people who are acting inappropriately, you can take the appropriate action to terminate them if necessary,” said TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger at railway safety event Thursday.
Last week, former TSA officer Maxie Oquendo was arrested and charged with unlawful imprisonment, sexual abuse and other charges after allegedly molesting a 21-year-old woman two days prior. Police said Oquendo brought the victim to a bathroom in the New York airport for what he claimed to be additional security screening.
Neffenger said every organization may have “some bad apples,” but that most TSA workers perform challenging jobs well.
“I have a great deal of faith in the workforce,” Neffenger said. “What we do in the long run is train across the organization — a consistent, foundational training — in the standards that we expect people to adhere to, our core values to treat the traveling public with the dignity and respect you’d expect to be treated with yourself.”
[Photo: TSA]
One down, many hundreds of perverts left to go. I agree with ccyao -- If TSA screened and hired quality employees this would have never happened.
“I have a great deal of faith in the workforce" Are these incidents are universal property of organisations that apply faith en lieu of a selection process for their personnel? I hope he did not really say that in the wake of such an incident ....
Neffenger has already become drunk on TSA Koolaid. Why was this screener wandering around the terminal in the first place. Where was management? And if the crime is only alleged won't the union fight for this persons job?
Only the TSA could be self-congratulatory about how "well" it handled a sexual assault.
Would not have happened if the TSA screened the people they employ.