TSA Firing 25 Workers, but Not Because of That Horrible Security Report or All the Stealing
According to reports from the Transportation Security Administration, the agency plans to clean a little house at the Newark International Airport by firing 25 employees and suspending 19 others for alleged misconduct.
In a seemingly related pair of stories, a recent internal TSA investigation revealed frequent security failures, while an ABC News story investigated rampant theft at the TSA.
However, both of these things have nothing to do with the 25 firings, according to the TSA.
A news release issued by TSA representatives said that this proposed decision is the result of "individuals violating standard operating procedures for screening checked bags at one of the airport's 25 baggage screening rooms." Other reports indicate that offenses like sleeping on the job also played a role in the agency’s decision to take corrective action.
However, sources say that none of these proposed firings and suspensions have anything to do with last week’s internal report by the TSA alleging large-scale security failures within the agency. The TSA "has a zero tolerance for misconduct in the workplace" and the agency "takes prompt and appropriate action with any employee who does not follow our procedures and engages in misconduct,” according to the news release.
Representatives from the TSA added that any alleged wrongdoing by their employees "represents less than one-half of one percent of officers that have been employed" by the agency.
[ABC News]