TSA denies one-handed former boxer employment because of his alleged inability to molest passengers with pat downs

Wednesday, August 03, 2011 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer
Tags: TSA, employment, health news

(NaturalNews) Based on its track record of hiring criminals and child molesters, the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) appears willing to give a job to basically anyone ... unless, of course, you are unable to grope travelers with both hands as part of the agency's enhanced pat down protocol. Former champion boxer Michael Constantino, a 32-year-old man from Queens, NY, was recently denied employment at the TSA simply because he was born with only one hand.

A recent report in the New York Daily News (NYDN) explains that Constantino, who used to regularly outperform many of his opponents during his boxing days, is more than capable of handling and opening luggage, as well as performing all the normal duties associated with being a TSA screener. But the TSA has officially rejected him because they say he has a "medical disqualification."

"Anyone that knows me knows it's ridiculous for them to say I can't open luggage," said Constantino to NYDN. "I've fought in the Golden Gloves (an amateur US boxing competition). I work out with former world champions. Opening luggage would be pretty easy for me."

Because Constantino had successfully made it through two interviews without any mention of his missing arm, and all had appeared to go well, he was fairly sure that he was going to get the job. But to his dismay, Constantino later received an email from the TSA alleging that he would be unable to properly handle luggage with only one hand, even though the agency never even gave him a chance to try. The TSA also scorned his inability to conduct full-body pat downs with both hands.

"They just made an assumption that he can't perform this job simply because he doesn't have a right hand -- without any evidence to support it," said Constantino's lawyer Jonathan Bell. "The federal government is supposed to be a model employer, and this is what they do? It's a disgrace."

Bell is confident that the Equal Opportunity Employment Opportunity Commission will reverse the agency's decision, but the fact that it was made in the first place shows just how deeply vested the TSA is in performing invasive pat downs.

Sources for this story include:

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/07/...