Testimony costs flight attendant her job

SignOnSanDiego ^ | July 12, 2002 | Kristen Green

[MizSterious]

Testimony costs flight attendant her job

Airline fires witness for admitting pot use

By Kristen Green
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

July 12, 2002

Denise Kemal was fired June 28, more than two weeks after her nationally televised testimony, because the company has a zero-tolerance drug policy.

Losing her job has ruined her life, Kemal said yesterday. "I've always wanted to fly," she said. "It took me years to get my job."

She said she is appealing the dismissal because smoking marijuana "wasn't an everyday thing." While she waits for an answer, Kemal, 28 and recently divorced, watches the Westerfield trial from the couch of her new Florida apartment.

Kemal was called to the witness stand by the prosecution June 10. She was at the van Dam home Feb. 1, the night 7-year-old Danielle van Dam was last seen, and spent the evening with Brenda van Dam, the girl's mother.

The two had become friendly through their husbands, who both work at Qualcomm. A spokeswoman for Southwest confirmed that Kemal had been fired, but declined to elaborate. She said company policy states that the "illegal use of drugs, narcotics or controlled substances off duty and off company premises is not acceptable and may result in termination because it can affect on-the-job performance and the confidence of our customers in the company's ability to meet its responsibilities."

Kemal said she was just answering questions posed to her during Westerfield's trial because "I want to make sure he gets convicted."

"Because of him, it's just ruined everyone's lives," she said.

Kemal testified that she went out with her Tierrasanta neighbor Barbara Easton and Brenda van Dam to Dad's Cafe & Steakhouse in Poway two Fridays in a row, Jan. 25 and Feb. 1. They were celebrating Kemal's upcoming move to Baltimore, where she had been transferred for work.

The second night out, Feb. 1, she was introduced to Westerfield, whom she has described as "creepy." Westerfield is charged with kidnapping and murdering Danielle. If convicted, he could be sentenced to death.

Kemal said the three women first celebrated her move Jan. 25. Kemal and Easton, who lived in the same apartment complex, shared a bottle of wine before driving to the van Dams, Kemal testified. She said she smoked some marijuana in the van Dams' garage before they left for the bar.

The next week, the three women decided to spend that Friday night partying at Dad's again after Damon van Dam canceled plans to go out of town and agreed to stay home with the couple's three children.

On Feb. 1, they smoked pot in the garage a second time, Kemal testified, and she and Easton shared a beer. Later in the evening, they partied at Dad's, where they ran into Westerfield. At one point in the night, they went to van Dam's sport utility vehicle to smoke marijuana again.

Kemal said her supervisors learned that she had smoked pot because customers mailed newspaper articles about her testimony.

She had never had problems at Southwest before the trial, she said. In fact, she regularly received letters of commendation from airline passengers since she was hired in November 1998.

Once, a Texas couple she had met on a flight sent a box of candy to her home. Kemal, in turn, shipped them a set of candles for their living room.

Kemal said that even after Sept. 11, she didn't have any reservations about flying.

"I did it because it's my job, and I love my job," she said. "I get to travel and meet different people. I like to serve the public."

[Greg Weston]

Good then call for the testing of the waitress who serves you, the guy who pumps your gas. Anybody you might come into contact with. Another lover of the big brother society attitude. How special.

[the Deejay]

Hey, I rarely, if ever, eat out. My husband pumps our gas.
Face it, Greg, pot is ILLEGAL!!!!

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Your contributions are always very thoughtful and helpful.........NOT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How foolish can you be to come in here and chastise people for judging by judging the very ones you chastise.

As Johnny Carson might say, Shame on YOU, Hypocrite Lips.

[Jhoffa_]

"Because of him, it's just ruined everyone's lives," she said.

(LOL! Snort!)

[MizSterious]

Oh, yeah, if there's ever an emergency on a plane I'm on, I always really hope that the crew is so stoned they can't be of any use in helping us survive it--NOT! Let the fool fly Cheech & Chong Airlines for all I care--I'm glad SW has that rule. Flight attendants do much more than just bring food and hand out pillows. On a good flight, it might not amount to much more, but in an emergency, a cool and level head is needed. I'm not sure Duh Knees ever did have a level one, though.

[spectre]

They can take a microscope to my life anytime they want, and my husbands..which BTW, they HAVE!

Go tell off Lisa Bloom who just ended her show with how unfair it was that Denise got fired... She says, there just has to be a law to protect her for testifying. She should have been granted immunity, according to Lisa.

But in the next breath, Lisa makes a big deal out of saying that IF Westerfields son testifies that it was HIS porn on the computer..then he should be punished...about a year in prison...for down-loading porn!

What a flamin liberal hypocrite..Let Denise off, but punish the 18 year old. Give me a break.

sw

[the Deejay]

Exactly. And to say nothing that of memory loss from smoking that junk! I'm used to those 22-24 hour long flights and the LAST THING I'd want to specualte is the flight attendants somking JUNK!! That's why "I care" and I care a WHOLE LOT!

[Freedom2specul8]

*"Roseanne Barr on CracK" aka Cherokee's mother saw "dirty dancing."*

She was a hoot wasn't she!

[spectre]

Yes, and the Flight Attendant's are considered "crew members". But they aren't the only ones we don't want "stoned". The same rule applies to the Aircraft Mechanics, on down. Now, isn't that a comforting thought...allowing Aircraft Mechanics to be stoned...NOT!

sw

[the Deejay]

I'm speaking for me, myself & I. Anyone at anytime can look into my life with a microscope and I wouldn't mind. Know what they WOULDN'T FIND? Sleaze & ILLEGAL activity of any kind.

You shouldn't make such bold statements broadbushing a group of posters, because you do not know any of us on a personal basis.

[MizSterious]

Having once been on a plane that was dropping engine parts and finally an engine on the flight route before making a very rough landing, I can appreciate a professional, cool, level-headed crew that knew what the heck they were doing. That was not the time for Cheech and Chong, or "party on" Garth. And imagine if the flight attendant on the 'shoe bomb' plane had been higher than a kite--would those passengers still be here? To allow such behavior is idiotic beyond belief, but fortunately the airlines seem to have more common sense than some Freepers.

[spectre]

That was "mean" Kim. The woman was nervous, and "different". You can't prove she was "stoned". She has a disability, she used a cane and was off her pain killers to testify.

Doesn't take much to make fun of this poor woman...it only shows desperation on your part.

sw

[EllaMinnow]

She was hilarious!
She contradicted her daughter, she contradicted Westie's friend Glennie, she even contradicted old Davie himself...

[MizSterious]

The FA's are not just "waitresses" and shame on the passengers who think so. But dittos for your remarks about the ground crew.

[Freedom2specul8]

She wasnt on crack....it was a funny remark...sort of like ALL the ones about the vd's vandarnit

[the Deejay]

True. In an emergency, I want to KNOW the flight attendants can RECALL where the shoots are and HOW they work.

"Shoots", the inflatable mattress type this passengers slide down out the exit doors.

[MizSterious]

At least that woman had an excuse--prescription meds. No accounting for why some freepers behave as they do. Sometimes it's more bizarre than the witness, way more bizarre.

[Greg Weston]

If a flight attendent was stoned on the flight you may have a point. Since that isn't the issue in this case you have no point.

[Freedom2specul8]

The vd's can't help how they look or how their name is spelt..oops I better not say anything...that's defending smoking joints.

[EllaMinnow]

I guess they're afraid she might put their lives in danger by accidentally bringing a Coke instead of a Sprite.