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TSA Regrets ‘Inaccurate Guidance’ Given to Family of Wheelchair-Bound 3-Year-Old Threatened With Pat-Down

Feb. 20, 2013 5:08pm Madeleine Morgenstern

Image source: YouTube

The Transportation Security Administration has issued an apology to the Missouri family that said their 3-year-old, wheelchair-bound daughter was detained and threatened with a pat-down and that they were ordered not to record it.

A TSA spokesman told Fox News the Forck family was given “inaccurate guidance” during a trip through Lambert-St. Louis International Airport on their way to Disney World earlier this month.

“TSA regrets inaccurate guidance was provided to this family during screening and offers its apology,” a TSA spokesman said.

It happened Feb. 9 when Lucy Forck, who has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, was pulled aside for additional screening. TSA officers told parents Nathan and Annie that they would need to give Lucy a pat-down and swab her wheelchair. When Annie Forck began videotaping what was happening, she was told by an officer that recording was “illegal.” Forck’s footage, posted to YouTube, shows Lucy in tears after the TSA took away her stuffed animal.

“They specifically told me that they were singling her out for this special treatment because she’s in a wheelchair,” Nathan Forck told Fox. “They are specifically singling out disabled people for this special scrutiny. It’s rather offensive to me as a father of a disabled child.”

The agency told Fox that the St. Louis officers acted inappropriately and that passengers are permitted to film TSA procedures provided it doesn’t interfere with the screening process.

Additionally, while Lucy was not ultimately patted down, the agency said the family should never have been told it was going to happen.

“We are committed to maintaining the security of the traveling public and strive to treat all passengers with dignity and respect,” the TSA told Fox. “While no pat-down was performed, we will address specific concerns with our workforce.”

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Comments (101)

cosmic dogma
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 9:38pm
Because we aren’t allowed to profile, because anyone with an IQ of 50 and above knows WHO the profiling would suggest needs additional scrutiny, we innocent and numbingly submissive morons are patted down by the power drunk authority figures with IQs lower than 50. Makes perfect sense. Just like everything else. Poor little kid.

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denkat56
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 8:54pm
I wonder how the family got so confused. They probably heard that pat down on the little girl was needed for security of the other passengers. They probably heard that they couldn’t tape the incident either from tsa. I wonder how the family could be so confused. All they did was listen to the tsa. I’m sure that the tsa meant something completely different when they said no taping, and a body pat down of a little girl. I’ll bet it was all just a big misunderstanding on everybody’s part. Like hell there was a misunderstanding.

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crusaderx9
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 8:42pm
That women is Mom of the Year. She remained composed as the TSA thug kept trying to intimidate her.

Disgraceful and alarming to have someone wearing a federal uniform that is LYING to you about the law in order to intimidate you. The TSA fool wanted to impose her misguided will against the protective mother and make this a confused ‘he said/she said’ confrontation by attempting to get the mother to stop recording the event. Thank goodness the mother stood her ground.

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OperationNorthwoods
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 8:40pm
Look at the angry face on that girl. She is probably with Al-Qeada.

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pleasedontbreed
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 8:09pm
I have been in Law Enforcement for 17 years and am appalled at the TSA. I am also amazed that the best that the Govt can do is apologize! This made me sick. I will never fly with my family because of these asinine, untrained and truly insensitive people exist in the airports. I thought their purpose was security, but all I see is that they have a license to harass and degrade people. To think…I was considering this job when I retire. I wont now, because I don’t want to be the only one with a heart. I am sure that I would get fired for that.

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- Jim in Houston
  Posted on February 20, 2013 at 8:28pm
  They seem to have taken all the trash you see in those Walmart emails and given them a uniform and told them they are like Gods.
  
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carlschulz
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 8:01pm
they only regret getting caught by a citizen with a camera that wasn’t afraid to use it.

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Zombee
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 7:55pm
The TSA goons only do this to law abiding American citizens. When have you ever heard of them doing this to an illegal alien law breaker ? Have you noticed lately how the government is treating law abiding citizens like their terrorists,criminals and the mass murderers? Ethnic and behavior profiling really works not groping and manhandling our wives and children.

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southernloyalty
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 7:39pm
I used to work for TSA, and most of the individuals I worked with were like me, young, fresh out of the military and couldn’t find a job anywhere else. Despite how retarded many of the things were we did, we rarely ever had issues with people. Most people who came through were kind and had no problems. However, then you have the people trying to stir crap up either acting obnoxious or videotaping and making a scene so they could post it on the interenet to stir stuff up. I personally just laughed at them. I think there’s a better answer out there for airport screening than TSA, such as using dogs and screening behavior, however, its like I used to say to people whining about TSA, don’t whine to me whine to your congressmen. I know this though, these same people that whine about TSA will be the first to whine about no security if TSA was gone and some nut blows up a plane. The screening process isn’t that bad, you go through about the same thing when you go in a court house but nobody whines about that. Oh yeah, courts haven’t been demonized by the “NEWS” yet.

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- showmerancher
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 6:06am
  Screening in the courts is almost always done by highly trained law enforcement professionals, not poorly trained “wannabes” who often drunk with power and “make up” the law as they go (as in this case). If the folks in this video were ex-military, I certainly feel even more sorry for the state of this country. It certainly isn’t the military I knew; we respected the American citizen.
  
  Look at what has happened to this country since 9/11. It is nothing like it was before. The terrorists have certainly won and will continue to have won as long as we as sheep, continue to submit ourselves to this type of treatment. I’m sure that terrorists are having a good laugh at a neutered American public.
  
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garbagecanlogic
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 7:24pm
I read no mention of the persons involved looking for new employment. This is TSA’s standard response in that they are looking into it and that their people acted inappropiately and it will be changed. The biggest problem that the usual offenders are dark skinned people!! You can’t fire them because it would be racism.

Praise Be To Obama. Psalm 109:8

The U.N. Out Of The U.S.
The U.S. Out Of The U.N.

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wilbstal
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 7:22pm
just more proof I need more Guns and ammo i re-load each nite you can never have to much ammo. you can always distribute it to your freinds if they get short during the Civil War that is nearing

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wilbstal
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 7:19pm
all cops would like not to be filmed so they can do as they please like Obama does. Thank God for cameras.

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Skip63
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 7:08pm
Those who sacrifice their freedom for security deserve neither.

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TheHalfrican
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 7:08pm
This is what happens when you give a Democrat just a little power.

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Atikva
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 7:01pm
Air travel nowadays has become an ordeal and it doesn’t even end after you have finally entered the plane. I used to enjoy flying before some of the most hopelessly stupid people on earth imagined to blow themselves into pieces for the pleasure of killing a whole bunch of innocents. Nowadays I stay home or go by train or road – maybe by ship some day.

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MrBigBear
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 6:50pm
Little know fact: Airports DO NOT have to use TSA. I give you San Francisco International, they use a private company and have virtually no complaints from travelers. The people are professional, well trained, courteous and profile passengers when necessary.

These TSA (thug security army) losers that get reported like this are almost always minorities – they get a little power and it just goes to their head. They have NO reasoning ability and if some book doesn’t tell them what to do, other than harassing travelers and their children, then they are stumped.

Thanks a load G. Bush for a crew of losers that have to be defended with my tax dollar.

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high school drop out
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 6:40pm
T.S.A..Totally Stupid Asses! This is a fine example of what happens when you cede too much power to anyone They become drunk with it then abuse it…ALWAYS! And without EXECEPTION And yeah Keaton it may have been the Bush admin. who started it ( there were few who yelled louder than I did about the “patriot act” and other nonsense like the T.S.A.) But the lesson is clear POWER CORRUPTS which is why The FOUNDERS preached separation of powers!…The funny part of this is that many many Libs believe that ‘Their Guy”Is the “Good Guy” therefore immune to the corrosive effects of Unlimited power so, have no problem giving them all the power they want!..FOOLS!!!!

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KalanVA
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 6:38pm
Government Goons at work.

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milo75
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 6:35pm
In obama’s AMERICA, the good get punished for the actions of evil people. Wake up and get prepared Liberty needs her people to come rescue her. Our government has taken her hostage and defiled her in every way possible.

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sckimbershot
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 6:34pm
affirmative action in action! paying for the evils of the past? what better way than to hide behind a badge and bust balls.

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shorelineliz
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 6:25pm
“Inaccurate guidance?” these TSA people need to be horse whipped!

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FlamingFartSyndrome
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 6:18pm
When will you understand that the war on terror is really just a war on freedom? Revolute now

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Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 6:14pm
Of course you have to scan a wheelchair, It’s common sense. But making the child feel terrified and a source of some exception is uncalled for. Talk about bullying. Cruel, ignorant, idiotic, sloth and poor management! Setting her parents off because of pure ignorance. Incompetent fools.
Actually apologizing is nearly unheard of re: Government agency screw ups. At least it was acknowledged in a respectable manner. What about the Supervisor on site? Don’t send them to any obama sensitivity training for God’s sake.

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youshuthehellup
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 6:11pm
anyone who works for tsa is a traitor to Americans liberties. I would quit my job, I would not help gov’t rape Americans!! file suit for anything tsa does to you – get lawyers – film everything they do to you at the airport. we will sue them out of existence!!

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MCLOVINIT
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 6:09pm
A Planet of the Apes special report:
The Emperor has announced that in order to
make the Ape Goon screeners at airports a more diverse
workforce, convicted pedophiles & sex offenders will be
given first priority in the hiring process. Also, applicants
will only need an 8th-grade education.

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RemoteCoderz
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 6:04pm
“A TSA spokesman told Fox News the Forck family was given “inaccurate guidance” during a trip through Lambert-St. Louis International Airport on their way to Disney World earlier this month.”

I’d like to give some “inaccurate guidance” all over TSA

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