Wow! Disturbing story that there are people this stupid in the world...and yes, they are running your local McDonald's!!! Long article so I'm not going to post the whole thing...but here's the beginning of it...worth the read IMO though! http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051009/NEWS01/510090392 "A hoax most cruel By Andrew Wolfson awolfson@courier-journal.com The Courier-Journal She was a high school senior who had just turned 18 -- a churchgoing former Girl Scout who hadn't received a single admonition in her four months working at the McDonald's in Mount Washington. But when a man who called himself "Officer Scott" called the store on April 9, 2004, and said an employee had been accused of stealing a purse, Louise Ogborn became the suspect. "He gave me a description of the girl, and Louise was the one who fit it to the T," assistant manager Donna Jean Summers said. Identifying himself as a police officer, the caller issued an ultimatum: Ogborn could be searched at the store or be arrested, taken to jail and searched there. "I was bawling my eyes out and literally begging them to take me to the police station because I didn't do anything wrong," Ogborn said later in a deposition. She had taken the $6.35-an-hour position after her mother lost her job. "I couldn't steal -- I'm too honest. I stole a pencil one time from a teacher and I gave it back." Summers, 51, conceded later that she had never known Ogborn to do a thing dishonest. But she nonetheless led Ogborn to the restaurant's small office, locked the door, and -- following the caller's instructions -- ordered her to remove one item of clothing at a time, until she was naked. "She was crying," recalled Kim Dockery, 40, another assistant manager, who stood by watching. "A little young girl standing there naked wasn't a pretty sight." Summers said later that "Officer Scott," who stayed on the telephone, giving his orders, sounded authentic. He said he had "McDonald's corporate" on the line, as well as the store manager, whom he mentioned by name. And she thought she could hear police radios in the background. Summers shook each garment, placed it in a bag and took the bag away. "I did exactly what he said to do," Summers said of her caller. It was just after 5 p.m., and for Ogborn, hours of degradation and abuse were just beginning. ............ "
Yup...I was just reading it with my jaw dropped. Quite hard to fathom people actually not questioning some of these things. But it also does to show you how people in authority positions can taken advantage of a situation, he wasn't even a real authority figure and got away with it! Scary s**t!
this is what happens when you are trained to blindly trust 'authority' very sad it's like the women around here who got pulled over by an 'undercover cop'... he had a badge, flashing lights in his undercover car... He raped 3 women I will not pull over for an undercover cop. If I have my cell phone, I will call 911 to figure out if it is a real cop.
Its so crazy all the things you have to worry about... i am 6'3" tall 235 lbs so i dont fear that many things... but my worse fear would be something happing to mty wife or friend or anyone for that matter. I dont think I realize all the things that could happen to especially a woman. thats why i never ever mind picking my wife up... it makes me nervous when she comes home late espcially since its getting dark out so early now.... damn i dont want to even think about it
Outrageous. I had a guy call the shop yesterday to say, "Hey this is Joe. George is going to pick up my bike for me, is that OK?" I'm new to this shop. I have no idea who George is. So I called the number on the service ticket and got Joe's wife, who gave me Joe's cell phone number. I called Joe. "Hey, this is Laura at [my shop]. Just wanted to verify that it was you who called..." Joe was not expecting the call from me at all, and I couldn't tell if he was confused that I would call to verify (why would you do that?), or surprised that I would be so thorough (wow, I'm really glad you did that). Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're NOT out to get you.
The article is from Oct 9th, but I just came across it. Apparently though they've been getting reports of this type of stuff since about 95. The other really interesting parts are toward the end of the article. Apparently the guy who is accused of this stuff is now claiming to be a victim because his life has been disrupted by being caught :nuts: "Stewart declined to be interviewed, but in a letter responding to Ogborn's suit in Bullitt Circuit Court, he said: "I received your notice but I'm in no way responsible. I feel bad for your loss because I am a victim as well. I lost my job, my home and my car all over something I did not do." " And here are some snippets of what the manager said....I love how she's not taking responsibility for being a complete moron and instead blaming McDonald's. (And they had sent messages to the stores....she just claims they didn't mention strip searches...good god!!!) "....... Summers has filed her own claim against McDonald's, alleging that the incident would not have occurred if she had been warned. She declined to be interviewed, but in her deposition, she angrily asked how McDonald's "could have failed to spread the word." "You've destroyed three lives," she said. "Hope you're happy." ........ " And this part really torques me (if it's true because you gotta take this crap with a grain of salt) because McD's is blaming the victim!!! What the hell....she was scared sh**less. Sure, one looks at the situation and thinks it would only make sense to run, but that still doesn't make it right to blame her! ".... In court papers, McDonald's also has blamed Ogborn for what happened to her saying that her injuries, "if any," were caused by her failure to realize the caller wasn't a real police officer. Questioning Ogborn during a deposition, Patterson suggested that although she had no clothes, she could have walked out of the office, but stayed voluntarily to clear her name. "Did it ever occur to you to scream?" he asked. ....."
And Mickey D's is trying to blame it on the 18 yr. old chick....that's a good way to be there corporate America....jeeezuz f*ckin' chr*st.... Man up or get the hell outta my country....
Okay, this is clearly a horrible situation and I feel bad for the girl... ...but I'd go to McDonald's a lot more if naked chicks walked out of the back room
I almost gotta take McD's side on this one, they are just defending themselves anyway they can. Not that it is the Victim's fault in ANY way. But seriously how the heck is it McD's fault? Because they didnt have a written policy telling people NOT to follow requests for a strip search? I mean come on.
Accoriding to the article it actually is does have a written policy against strip-searches!!! "Its Louisville lawyer, W.R. "Pat" Patterson Jr., said McDonald's employee manual clearly noted its policy against strip-searches. "The employees didn't read it," Patterson said in an interview. "That is all I can say."" I feel that almost all blame lies entirely on the managers/people who executed the crimes. BUT...I do feel that companies bear some responsibility because they are the ones responsible for hiring the managers and putting them in a position of authority. You would think there would be a minimum level of intelligence needed for a managerial position of any sorts...and obviously this woman does not pass that test!!!!
Ha, I will take value meal #3 with a side order of McBoobs, and can you supersize that for me? I can't really feel sorry for anybody here. Who gets naked because an assitant store manager of a Micky D's tells you she needs to do a strip search? McDumb.
yeah, and the fiance of the McD's manager that came in was like, "You want me to watch this 18 year old chick do jumping jacks and sit on my lap babe? No problem!"
McDonald's is on the losing side of a horrible case. This seems like the classic lawsuit, where everyone is sued, but the plantiff only wants the richest defendent. Frankly, if they paid off the person who spilt coffee on herself, how much should this poor girl get?
The thing on 20/20 showed how they tracked the caller and nailed him. He had apparently done the same thing all over the country to get his jollys. Very disturbing. They interviewed the manager lady as well. She has the mental acuity of a fence post. If anybody is to blame it is her.
This is a classic case of whats wrong with companies in this country. Companies tell manager now that they have absolute power. This is taken to the extreme but its an example of how bad things can get. A lot of places really dont give a crap about individual rights any more. When I worked for best buy as a supervisor. The day after 9/11 my store manager waled in to a meeting and told us I called the legal department and apparently we have to let guard and reserves go when they are called up. There is nothing we can do to keep them here and working. I couldnt believe it im former Navy I almost walked out. If any one has ever worked for Big retail they think they own you when you work for them.
And for those of you who want to see the video, here is a clip from ABC. No nudity (its blurred out) which is too bad...shes a cutie. http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=1297922&page=1
I'm sure ou are being sarcastic but... It's too bad that her naked tortured body is blurred out? After all the poor girl went through you want to see naked pictures of the girl? That is some sicko shiz right there...
Sorry but I will disagree. That would be more the exception then the rule. We are CONSTANTLY being trained on HR issues. Employee rights are almost rediculous. (not so much the actual rights, but the hoops you have to jump through).
You've got to be kidding. I understand the implications of following authority, but jesus, that's utterly absurd.
I worked for Circuit city and Best Buy and the way the store managers act at both places are they own your ass. When I worked for Circuit City I fell off a fork lift and cut my wrist badly dropped a pint of blood on the floor. While I was recovering and was on light duty only. The store manager locked the doors so no one could leave and told me I had to pout refrigerators up on the racks in the back after I was segualed to leave. The sales people were locked in till he felt thy had there departments clean. The store use to get fined by the cops because we would call them all the time for False imprisonment. That store manager is now a district manager.
Yes I was being sarcastic. Just figured I would provide the link to anyone who wanted to see the surveilance camera footage and hear the story as it was presented on ABC.
O yea and the forklift injury was because they dident give us proper safety equipment. It took 6 hours of surgery to keep the use of my hand and I still have nerve damage from it. And thanks to the grate state of Pennsylvania I couldnt get a layer to tutch the lawsuit because its not legal to sew your employer here for any reason.