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West Point stands by punishment for cadet in LaBelle incident
houston chronicle ^ | June 6,2011 | Allan Turner

Posted on 06/07/2011 12:54:39 PM PDT by freedommom

West Point officials will stand by their decision to kick Houston senior cadet Richard King out of the Army military academy in the wake of a March altercation involving soul singer Patti LaBelle at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

The academy’s Monday statement was the first regarding the attack, which left the 23-year-old man with a concussion and lingering symptoms. King’s attorney, John Raley, had asked the academy to reconsider the dismissal.

Although academy officials did not discuss details of the King case, the former student said he had been placed in an 18-month, active-duty mentorship program for violating the academy’s code of honor. At the end of the program, he would be eligible to apply for re-admission.

"The U.S. Military Academy completed a thorough investigation regarding the incident that occurred at the Houston airport on March 11, 2011..." academy officials said. "Following this investigation, the Academy chain of command took appropriate action in accordance with Army Regulation 210-26."

Raley today said that King was "a good soldier and will proudly serve his country wherever he is deployed."

"When he completes his 18 month tour of duty, he will reapply to West Point," Raley said in an email. "...Richard was honored to be a West Point cadet, and, God willing, will be one again."

Raley likened West Point’s decision to drop King from the academy to a judge’s decision in court. "We must respect the decision regardless of our personal feelings," he said.

Last week, King’s attorney filed a civil suit against LaBelle, three of her employees, an airport taxi dispatcher and the city of Houston to obtain actual and punitive damages in connection with the incident.

(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Local News; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: lawsuit; pattilabelle; richardking; westpoint
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To: freedommom

After 18 months enlisted methinks he will look at the Long Gray Line a little differently.

I would lay odds he will take the settlement he is going to get, and go do something else.

Jaded would be a word that I think will describe him when he is done.

As an aside, I wonder if the 18 months is counted in this commitment if he goes back and graduate?


41 posted on 06/07/2011 3:39:17 PM PDT by Vermont Lt (Is there anyone that Obama won't toss under the bus?)
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To: verity

“My ADVICE to you is to learn the proper usage of words.”

I can tell you are not capable of seeing the big picture. You must work in DC.


42 posted on 06/07/2011 4:38:57 PM PDT by FightThePower! (Fight the powers that be!)
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To: cynwoody

“How is being drunk in public, even assuming he was, a violation of the honor code?

Conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentlemen, perhaps. But it that’s all it was or wasn’t, then charging him with an honor violation is an honor violation.”

After seeing this, I can say only a fool would join the Army or go to West Point. The person that runs West Point is not able to think, they can’t even reverse this guys punishment after seeing the video. If this is how they treat you when you are attacked in Houston, you can be sure they won’t have your back in IRAQ! Please, members of the Army, vote with your feet. Don’t join, and leave as soon as you can.


43 posted on 06/07/2011 4:44:58 PM PDT by FightThePower! (Fight the powers that be!)
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To: AwesomePossum

No politician would. “Quibbling” or acting like a “sea lawyer” were minor sins that could draw punishment. With such constant policing it’s difficult to tell an outright lie because you realize how easily you can be caught.


44 posted on 06/07/2011 4:48:22 PM PDT by Tallguy (You can safely ignore anything that precedes the word "But"...)
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To: FightThePower!

Make an effort to acquire your GED.


45 posted on 06/07/2011 5:06:12 PM PDT by verity (The Obama Administration is a Criminal Enterprise.)
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To: verity

You must work for the government, you are incapable of seeing the big picture.


46 posted on 06/07/2011 5:23:53 PM PDT by FightThePower! (Fight the powers that be!)
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To: verity

Verity is a shill for the Houston Police Department and West Point. On a thread that expresses outrage over video evidence showing a Cadet, getting arrested and disciplined by West Point after being pummeled by a thug for doing nothing more than standing next to a famous persons luggage at an airport, verity decides to get huffy about a spelling error. Yes, a spelling error. Oh the humanity. Way to focus on the things that matter, verity.


47 posted on 06/07/2011 5:53:31 PM PDT by FightThePower! (Fight the powers that be!)
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To: Terabitten
Believe me, Hudson High could care less who Patti LaBelle is or isn’t.

How much less could they care?

48 posted on 06/07/2011 5:55:03 PM PDT by TankerKC (I feel 271 degrees out of sync today, which isn't half bad.)
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To: Terabitten
Believe me, Hudson High could care less who Patti LaBelle is or isn’t.

Agree. There's politics in the military and the academies, but not this kind of stuff.

49 posted on 06/07/2011 5:58:06 PM PDT by TankerKC (I feel 271 degrees out of sync today, which isn't half bad.)
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To: sten
in the video, looks like a white guy is standing on the curb talking on his cell phone.

There are other, longer versions of the video. Some show him walking out of the terminal and over to the area where the "fight" occurs. He *appears* to be staggering as he walks out...IMHO.

50 posted on 06/07/2011 6:10:28 PM PDT by TankerKC (I feel 271 degrees out of sync today, which isn't half bad.)
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To: Tallguy
Yeah, O is a sea lawyer (know-it-all) for sure.......but, not every politician lies at the drop of a hat......O does........

8:}

51 posted on 06/07/2011 6:38:38 PM PDT by AwesomePossum (I have never looked this forward to a Novembr II........)
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To: stormer
I take it that you didn't read the earlier articles and are entirely unaware that the decision was rendered while he was still unconcious in the hospital.

Also before the video was pulled.

If West Point has any basis for this beyond what we have seen here, then that basis in its entirety occurred before Richard King left to visit his family, ore would have to be a toxicology report showing more than a few drinks.

But based on incidents I saw from time to time during my tour, and the John Murtha prosecutions the military command has used up all of its allotted “Benefit of a doubt”.

Or are you going to defend Murtha’s nonsense as a properly handled UCMJ proceeding?

52 posted on 06/07/2011 8:21:21 PM PDT by MrEdd (Heck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.)
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To: FightThePower!
I hope you feel vindicated...and do not forget that GED. SmileyCentral.com
53 posted on 06/07/2011 8:32:14 PM PDT by verity (The Obama Administration is a Criminal Enterprise.)
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To: Eva

I saw the video of the incident. It backs the cadet’s innocence. He was attacked by racists.


54 posted on 06/07/2011 11:53:27 PM PDT by SaraJohnson
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To: jnsun
If, as you say, there is unprincipled leadership in the officer corp, what's to say someone, who is more unprincipled than others....

..might set this young man up to not return from active duty.

55 posted on 06/08/2011 5:35:26 AM PDT by Guenevere (....)
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To: calex59
Then you are a frickin' idiot.

I'll thank you for your apology for your unwarranted rudeness, and I'll also remind you of the FR posting policy:

NO profanity, NO personal attacks, NO racism or violence in posts.

56 posted on 06/08/2011 8:46:27 AM PDT by Terabitten ("Don't retreat. RELOAD!!" -Sarah Palin)
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To: lacrew
Back to the original story...his attorney seemed so ‘go along to get along’ with USMA’s decision, I strongly suspect this guy did more than get in a fight. He probably told a little white lie about what happened...and that is an honor violation.

That's my suspicion as well.

The other possibility is that this young gentleman was 'on the bubble' due to other issues, and this latest incident was enough to make USMA decide they'd had enough.

57 posted on 06/08/2011 8:49:35 AM PDT by Terabitten ("Don't retreat. RELOAD!!" -Sarah Palin)
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To: Terabitten
According to the original article someone in the Houston Police Department contacted West Point and forwarded the police report completed by the officer posing for pictures with Patti LaBelle while Cadet King was still in the hospital. The original article claimed the disciplinary was taken immediately at that time. The original article implied that it was a knee jerk reaction by West Point.

I work for a government organization that emulates the military with rank and a “code of conduct”, etc.. Unfortunately if someone made a mistake like this at HQ which made them look bad later... I know for certain that they wouldn't think twice about throwing a cadet under the bus if it helped them save face. So if we want to speculate here... why don't we add that likely possibility into the mix.

58 posted on 06/08/2011 9:14:06 AM PDT by fireman15 (Check your facts before making ignorant statements.)
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To: SaraJohnson

Thanks, that’s what I was asking, I guess. My question is why would the academy bow to these people and destroy the career of one of their own. It’s really upsetting. It’s like the left have their tentacles in everything.


59 posted on 06/08/2011 9:24:33 AM PDT by Eva
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To: fireman15
Thank-you for saying that & replying to the other poster!! .....This young man is up against enough odds & needs all the help he can get from rationale people...

...He doesn't need another beating by someone posting who has no idea what they're talking about.

60 posted on 06/08/2011 9:29:59 AM PDT by Guenevere (....)
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