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Parents: Our daughter was molested at Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede
Court TV ^ | 10/19/5 | Samantha Murphy

Posted on 10/19/2005 6:42:32 PM PDT by SmithL

Tennessee family has filed a lawsuit against Dolly Parton's dinner theater Dixie Stampede and an ex-employee, claiming their 8-year-old daughter was sexually molested while performing in the annual Christmas show.

Armando Martinez Gonzalez, 31, is accused of fondling the unidentified child actress before a show in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

The complaint, filed on Oct. 10 in Sevier County Circuit Court, claims Dixie Stampede breached its contract to care for, supervise and protect the girl.

The family is also charging the company with negligent supervision, hiring, recklessness and emotional distress, claiming supervisors should have been aware of what was happening behind their curtains.

Gonzalez, who had been employed at Dixie Stampede for two and a half years, was later fired.

"The former employee was suspended immediately upon [the] allegations and, after internal and external investigations, he was later terminated," Dixie Stampede spokesman Pete Owens said.

The suit claims parents were asked to drop off their children 20 minutes before each show. The young actors, who were paid $25 per performance, were allegedly kept apart from their parents and usually were left unattended.

The girl claims she now experiences flashbacks, nausea, vomiting and sleeping difficulties stemming from the November 2004 attack. Her family is seeking $10 million for emotional and physical damages.

Parents of another 8-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy have also accused Gonzalez of inappropriately touching their children. Bridgit McMahan, the mother of one of the alleged victims, told Channel 8 News in Knoxville that Gonzalez continually tried to run his hands up her daughter's dress while he was dressed as an elf.

"He kept going up her dress and she kept pushing him away; she couldn't get him off," McMahan said. "He ripped my daughter's pantyhose to get to her genitals. Then the show started. That's the only reason it stopped."

Another mother said her child also was molested by Gonzalez, and the girl now fears he will creep into her bedroom window at night and laugh at her.

Gonzalez' whereabouts are not known; police have speculated that he fled to Mexico. Two of the mothers handed out pamphlets with his face on it last winter in a Wal-Mart parking lot.

Although parents stand firm on the sexual battery charges filed against him, Owens believes Dixie Stampede is not accountable.

"After reviewing the complaint, we believe the claims are without merit," Owens said. "Once facts are known in the case, we believe the lawsuit will be dismissed."


TOPICS: TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: childmolestor; dixie; dixiestampede; dollyparton; dollywood; themepark
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1 posted on 10/19/2005 6:42:33 PM PDT by SmithL
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To: SmithL

Strangest headline ever.


2 posted on 10/19/2005 6:45:30 PM PDT by silent_jonny (God Bless Harriet Miers)
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To: SmithL

One of Bushes guest workers?


3 posted on 10/19/2005 6:45:52 PM PDT by cynicom
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To: SmithL

A small price to pay for cheap lawn care.


4 posted on 10/19/2005 6:47:15 PM PDT by Captainpaintball (When will you schmucks wake up and realize we are losing our country?)
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To: SmithL
"He kept going up her dress and she kept pushing him away; she couldn't get him off," McMahan said. "He ripped my daughter's pantyhose to get to her genitals.

not to be insensitive, but they want 10 million dollars for torn pantyhose??

5 posted on 10/19/2005 6:49:59 PM PDT by SwankyC (1st Bn 11th Marines Semper Fi)
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To: SmithL

Why does your link go to Yahoo?

I have had a lot of problems with Yahoo today!


6 posted on 10/19/2005 6:50:13 PM PDT by HuntsvilleTxVeteran (I shot an error into the air. It's still going everywhere. R. A. HEINLEIN)
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To: cynicom

I didn't see the words 'illegal alien' in there...

But really, what else was the park supposed to do? There was an allegation, they suspended the employee, they investigated, apparently found reason to believe the girl and they terminated the employee.

Where's the grounds for a suit here?


7 posted on 10/19/2005 6:52:30 PM PDT by Ramius (Buy blades for war fighters: freeper.the-hobbit-hole.net --> 900 knives and counting!)
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To: SmithL

"Gonzalez' whereabouts are not known; police have speculated that he fled to Mexico."

Muchas gracias Presidentes Bush y Fox.


8 posted on 10/19/2005 6:53:02 PM PDT by jocon307
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To: Captainpaintball

Yes... since everybody knows there are no American citizens named Gonzales.


9 posted on 10/19/2005 6:54:10 PM PDT by Ramius (Buy blades for war fighters: freeper.the-hobbit-hole.net --> 900 knives and counting!)
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To: SmithL

Pray, tell...what has this to do with Dolly...other than deep pockets?

On the surface...BS!


10 posted on 10/19/2005 6:58:13 PM PDT by x1stcav (All illegals out now!)
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To: Ramius

The young man is gone. Hope they get a bundle.


11 posted on 10/19/2005 6:58:43 PM PDT by cynicom
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To: cynicom

Why do you hope Dolly Parton has to pay for this? What did she do wrong?


12 posted on 10/19/2005 7:01:03 PM PDT by Ramius (Buy blades for war fighters: freeper.the-hobbit-hole.net --> 900 knives and counting!)
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To: Ramius
"Why do you hope Dolly Parton has to pay for this? What did she do wrong?"

She made "Rhinestone" with Stallone. She has to pay for that.

13 posted on 10/19/2005 7:12:12 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (*Fightin' the system like a $2 hooker on crack*)
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To: fieldmarshaldj

[snort]

OK... but besides that...


14 posted on 10/19/2005 7:18:04 PM PDT by Ramius (Buy blades for war fighters: freeper.the-hobbit-hole.net --> 900 knives and counting!)
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To: Ramius

Hey, Captain America grabbed my ass at Opryland when I was 6. I think I'll sue Stan Lee.


15 posted on 10/19/2005 7:35:24 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (*Fightin' the system like a $2 hooker on crack*)
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To: SmithL
This guy is lucky Dolly Parton didn't catch him in the act. She would have shot the guy.
16 posted on 10/19/2005 7:54:05 PM PDT by isthisnickcool (Don't get stuck on stupid - Lt. General Honore)
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To: Ramius

9-5 with the Hanoi Jane.


17 posted on 10/19/2005 8:13:40 PM PDT by kenth (There were only a few thousand hippies marching, but it smelled like half a million.)
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To: SmithL

I think I'll sue my cousin because at his last party went to, a [really, really] fat girl who came uninvited and unwanted kept sitting in my lap or giving me strange looks like she was trying to seduce me while thinking about the McDonalds menu. No amount of alcohol can fix the psychological damage done to me that night.


18 posted on 10/19/2005 10:02:08 PM PDT by Firefigher NC (Volunteer firefighters- standing tall, serving proud in the tradition of Ben Franklin.)
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To: SmithL
Although parents stand firm on the sexual battery charges filed against him, Owens believes Dixie Stampede is not accountable.

I'll take that bet, Owens. A court can nail him on improper hiring, supervision, etc., etc. In fact, big bucks will likely change hands before it goes to court.

19 posted on 10/19/2005 10:09:11 PM PDT by DeFault User
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To: DeFault User
I am friends with the parents of the children molested. The
parents were required to sign their children into the rehersals at the front, but were not allowed to go back to supervise their children. So basically they signed responsiblility for the care of their children over to Dixie for the time that they were there. Management should have performed a back ground check on him (which they did not do). It is standard business practice to perform back ground checks on employees who will be involved in the supervision of children or vulnerable people. He was also an illegal alien. Had they performed a back ground check, they most likely would have caught that. It is against the Law to hire illegals. It is very easy for HR personnel to check the validity of ss security cards and ID's. Most illegals have poor quality ID's. Dixie Stampede failed on several different levels to protect these children. Also, this story did not go into the full amount of molestion this man did. I assure you it was alot more sexual in nature than this story suggests.
20 posted on 02/07/2006 6:21:51 PM PST by donnaschlomer
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