Leo has been an employee of Prospect Airport Services for several years now. He lives and breathes his job. After getting an Associate's Degree in Travel and Hospitality Management three years ago, he was not able to find an airline customer service position as he had hoped. Ever since he was a little boy, he had dreamed of working in commercial aviation. Since he has some learning disabilities and other challenges, achieving this dream took a lot of hard work and perseverence. Many people facing the same challenges struggle to get any employment at all.
Prospect provides employees to dispatch and push wheelchairs, check credentials outside security, do "gate check" for overside carry-on bags, and help the airlines in any other way that is needed. Prospect employees have badges that enable them to go behind security to perform their duties. Leo has always taken a great joy in scheduling his break time to enable him to meet flights bringing friends and loved ones to Chicago. This was his first time meeting an international flight.
When Peter caught sight of Leo after we landed in Chicago, he fell into his older brother's arms. Leo was the first person who asked Peter how he liked India. "Wasn't it cool, Peter? Didn't you love it?" He stood with us so proudly in his tailored uniform with his badge around his neck.
As we went through immigration, Leo presented his badge and told the officer that he was a Prospect employee and that we were his mother and brother. Then we picked up our bags and proceeded through customs, with Leo pushing our luggage cart. He handed our card to one of the customs officers. The officer called a supervisor, who began shouting at Leo, berating him, badgering him. Why was he there? Who gave him permission? What did he think he was doing?
The supervisor told Leo that his badge did not entitle him to go behind security in the international terminal. (Of course, Leo was allowed through without any comment, but the officer didn't care about that). Leo explained that he was meeting family members after a long trip overseas, and that his brother was mentally handicapped and ill with a terminal blood disorder. The officer continued to berate him. He ripped Leo's badge off his neck and went away. Peter began to sob. Eventually the officer returned and shoved Leo on the shoulder. "I'm fining your company $10,000. Get the hell out of here! Get the hell out!"
I am proud that my son held his head up and walked away with dignity after being so badly humiliated in front of me and his brother.
Nothing more was said for about 3 weeks. This week, Leo was summoned by his company's personnel department. They asked for a written statement. Leo's dad also wrote a statement, providing additional details about Peter's condition and phone numbers for Peter's doctors for further verification. Of course, Leo did not know that what he did was a violation of rules. We hoped all of this would be a mitigating factor.
Yesterday, Leo turned in his statement and his dad's letter. Today, he dressed as carefully as always and went to work. He was home an hour later. He was summarily dismissed after 3.5 years of work for the company. There was something in the employee handbook about this. It had probably been mentioned in his training several years ago. Apparently situations like this had happened in the past, and the other employees had been let go. The department's "hands were tied".
Leo lost the job he loved in the place he most wanted to be. He will not be eligible for re-hire. But he told his company that he understood the situation. He looked them straight in the eye. He told them he was very sorry. They took away his badge. And then he came home.
I understand why this happened. Leo could have been there to take contraband from someone on the flight and walk it right out of the terminal. What he did was a security risk. There is zero tolerance for security risks. Leo's appearance is quite middle eastern. He is often singled out for special searches when he goes through security as a traveler. I do wonder if the officer who assaulted him would have given him a tiny benefit of the doubt if he had not been Indian, or if his mom had looked like him. Was the officer familiar with Indian adoption? Does he know that families like ours exist? That we even adopt children with handicaps? I imagine that could have sounded like a cock and bull story to him. Perhaps an elaborate ruse. But maybe not. Maybe it was just zero tolerance. We'll never know.
I am grieving for my son. He wanted to be there for his brother. The job with Prospect was just above minimum wage. It was hourly, with no benefits. But for Leo, it was the realization of a dream, the beginning of a long slow walk toward his ultimate goal. We don't know what he will do now.
I love him so much, and I am very, very proud.
