CA: Mayor vetoes hazing payoff - Pictures show firefighter playing pranks also

Los Angeles Daily News ^ | 11/20/2006 | Kerry Cavanaugh

[rawcatslyentist]

Like he never ate dogfood when he was a kid. Whadda wooos.
Make his lieyah eat dogfood too!!

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

That guy should've just been a man and devise a revenge prank......

My niece got the dogfood-spaghetti thing when she reported to the Reagan PRECOMUNIT.

She baked up a special batch of cookies. Ex-Lax...and a hint chili powder. The victims didn't taste it going in, but they sure felt it coming out!

Between that and the fact that she runs the computer network ("NO EMAIL FOR YOU!"), nobody's messed with her since.

[sgtbono2002]

If I ent over some of the tricks we pulled at the Firehouse , they would laugh this guy out of town.

[Tenacious 1]

Just to be clear...the ruling was awarded because a black man complained that he was the subject of a prank? It was awarded because he was black. Does anyone doubt this? Had a white man made the claim, would it have gone this far? OR might there have been a more thorough investigation and considered $1 million excessive?

We shall all be free when the color of skin does not justify the modification of social behavior. When a social sect is to be treated differently at their own request because they are black, they indeed promote recognition and differentiation based on their skin color. Of course this attitude and approach keeps the likes of Louis Faracon and Jessie Jackson in business.

Should LA consider not hiring blacks to avoid situations like this? The logic is the same.

[Tenacious 1]

Bad, Bad Andy.

Shame on you. I am embarrassed.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Only thing worse than practical jokers are practical jokers who can't take a joke. That said, if the guy sees dollar signs and a chance to retire early, why not? The current system encourages it. Just points out the need for tort reform and an end to frivolous lawsuits.

[6SJ7]

Those firefighters seem to have a thing for condiments.

[edcoil]

The only thing I liked about Riordan was his Pantry.

[SunkenCiv]

Responding to community outrage over the $2.7 million awarded to a black firefighter who said he suffered racial discrimination when his colleagues hid dog food in his spaghetti, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa vetoed the settlement Monday after seeing photos of the firefighter participating in pranks himself... Councilman Dennis Zine praised the mayor's decision. He was the lone council member to vote against the $2.7 million settlement and he later tried to get the City Council to reverse its decision after seeing photos of Pierce hazing fellow firefighters... The proposed settlement stemmed from an incident in the Westchester fire station in which 19-year veteran Pierce was served a plate of spaghetti with dog food in it. He ate a few bites, noticed his colleagues laughing and demanded to know what they put in his food. Later another colleague admitted to putting dog food in his meal. Pierce said the incident was sparked by a volleyball game earlier that day when he'd bragged, "You guys keep feeding the Big Dog," which was his nickname... Colleagues continued to harass him by barking at him and making jokes about dog food until he eventually took a leave from work.

Sounds like this whiner is a teacup pomerainian.

[La Enchiladita]

They barked at him? Sorry, that's funny.

[Silly]

Gee, if a guy can't take a joke when his coworkers horse around in the firehouse, how is he going to handle himself in a truly difficult situation -- say, a fire?

$2.7 million is a joke. Give him five grand and tell him to go stuff it. Then charge his lawyer for the cost of the proceedings.

[La Enchiladita]

Check this out. Chick won't let it go, continues to smear our hero firefighters. Now, natch, the NAACP gets in on the act. None of 'em can hold a candle to Bamattre.

NAACP Leaders Call for Los Angeles Chief's Removal

Nothing better to do in L.A. these days, I guess.

[Brad’s Gramma]

He did. Many times prior to this and after this, was this dude involved in REGULAR FIREHOUSE PRANKS.

Now, it's grown WAAAAAAAAYYYYYY out of proportion.

Totally disgusting.