Don’t Slap My Child

A passenger accused of slapping a 2 year old toddler on a Delta Airlines flight to Atlanta is sentenced to eight months in prison.  According to the mother, Jessica Bennett, Joe Rickey Hundley, 60, former president of an aircraft parts manufacturer based in Idaho was seated next to her and her son on a flight to Atlanta.  Her son became frightened upon decent and started to cry.  Hundley yelled at her to shut the “ni**** baby up.  He than slapped the toddler.  The adorable baby suffered a scratch below his eye after the assault.  

Thankfully, other passengers witnessed the assault and came to her rescue.  Passengers 12 rows up heard the racial slur.  I wonder if people were raised under rocks at times.  Ms. Bennett stated that Mr. Hundley reeked of alcohol during the flight and his speech was slurred.  According to Ms. Bennett, Mr. Hundley had been complaining about her son prior to the incident.  Earlier he had asked the stewardess about the regulations for holding children on laps.  Ms. Bennett also stated that he told her the toddler was too big to be sitting on her lap.  She said she spent most of the flight in the rear with her son, so she could stay away from Mr. Hundley. 

According to Mr. Hundley’s attorney, he was on his way to Atlanta to remove his son from life support and he was distraught.  Although I understand his pain for having to make such a heart wrenching decision, nobody has the right to slap another person,  Especially a child.     

Mr.  Hundley apologized in court for his disgraceful behavior.  He admitted that he had an alcohol problem and was attending AA meetings and had enrolled in an anger management course.  He will be spending the next 8 months behind bars, so he will have plenty of time to reflect on the incident and how he will re-enter society.  Hopefully, he will be rehabilitated and will have made peace with the death of his son . 

Photo courtesy of Daily Mail.