Crew takes baby slapped by mom aboard plane

[LuvOrlando]

"Crew takes baby slapped by mom aboard plane"

So I just read an article on how a Southwest flight attendant took a woman's 1 year old away from her when she witnessed the woman slap her child. Personally, I don't believe in slapping kids so I don't hit mine. However, some people do think a slap does work and since the courts haven't said it's illegal on what grounds exactly did this woman remove the baby from its Mom? Not only did the attendant do this but since no-one stopped her the rest of the crew, what... thought this was an OK thing to do? How does some airline employee get to remove a child from it's mother's arms with the full weight of the US government behind her over a parenting style dispute? I bet if the mother tried to defend her right to care for her own baby during the flight she would have ended up arrested. How did we get here?

I'm all for security and safety and the changes that became necessary after September 11 but how did the sacrifices we've made for the greater good safety wise expand into flight attendants being able to remove a child from his/her parents custody? Are ALL our rights suspended the moment we climb onto an aircraft?

I'm completely stunned and am really going to reconsider getting on a plane with my kids if anyone on that plane could theoretically remove my minor child from my care 'just because'. Scary stuff.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

"Crew takes baby slapped by mom aboard plane"

So I just read an article on how a Southwest flight attendant took a woman's 1 year old away from her when she witnessed the woman slap her child. Personally, I don't believe in slapping kids so I don't hit mine. However, some people do think a slap does work and since the courts haven't said it's illegal on what grounds exactly did this woman remove the baby from its Mom? Not only did the attendant do this but since no-one stopped her the rest of the crew, what... thought this was an OK thing to do? How does some airline employee get to remove a child from it's mother's arms with the full weight of the US government behind her over a parenting style dispute? I bet if the mother tried to defend her right to care for her own baby during the flight she would have ended up arrested. How did we get here?

I'm all for security and safety and the changes that became necessary after September 11 but how did the sacrifices we've made for the greater good safety wise expand into flight attendants being able to remove a child from his/her parents custody? Are ALL our rights suspended the moment we climb onto an aircraft?

I'm completely stunned and am really going to reconsider getting on a plane with my kids if anyone on that plane could theoretically remove my minor child from my care 'just because'. Scary stuff.

Here's the link.... http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/08/17/new.mexico.flight.incident/#fbid=My6xCKDmpAM&wom=false

Seems a bit more than a "simple slap". She slapped her legs and slapped her across the mouth, yelling at her to shut up. Yeah, hitting makes most babies quiet right down... Not saying that they are trained CPS employees, but I guess the flight attendant thought that the baby was in danger. It isn't as if she kept the baby.

 

[JessicaR]

"Crew takes baby slapped by mom aboard plane"

So I just read an article on how a Southwest flight attendant took a woman's 1 year old away from her when she witnessed the woman slap her child. Personally, I don't believe in slapping kids so I don't hit mine. However, some people do think a slap does work and since the courts haven't said it's illegal on what grounds exactly did this woman remove the baby from its Mom? Not only did the attendant do this but since no-one stopped her the rest of the crew, what... thought this was an OK thing to do? How does some airline employee get to remove a child from it's mother's arms with the full weight of the US government behind her over a parenting style dispute? I bet if the mother tried to defend her right to care for her own baby during the flight she would have ended up arrested. How did we get here?

I'm all for security and safety and the changes that became necessary after September 11 but how did the sacrifices we've made for the greater good safety wise expand into flight attendants being able to remove a child from his/her parents custody? Are ALL our rights suspended the moment we climb onto an aircraft?

I'm completely stunned and am really going to reconsider getting on a plane with my kids if anyone on that plane could theoretically remove my minor child from my care 'just because'. Scary stuff.

Keep reading. I think it was the right thing to do to err on the side of caution.They sited a black eye as well as Another passenger told police that they heard slaps, and the mother tell her daughter to "shut up" and that "I didn't hit you that hard." They say the woman appeared agitated.

The BABY is 13 months old. Hardly able to fend for them-self.

 

[MooGooGai]

She hit a baby on the face. I hope CPS gets involved.

Who hits a 13 month old?

 

[JessicaR]

Here's the link.... http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/08/17/new.mexico.flight.incident/#fbid=My6xCKDmpAM&wom=false

Seems a bit more than a "simple slap". She slapped her legs and slapped her across the mouth, yelling at her to shut up. Yeah, hitting makes most babies quiet right down... Not saying that they are trained CPS employees, but I guess the flight attendant thought that the baby was in danger. It isn't as if she kept the baby.

BINGO! Thats enough for me.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I'm not saying that 'someone' shouldn't remove the baby from her parents. By all means, call the police and have them waiting when the parents get off the plane. On the other hand I really do not think it's within the airlines right to act as child protective services... or is it? If the airlines are now the grand-daddy of all law enforcement I want to know about it and think we should all know where their rights end and ours begin before we climb on board.

 

[phorsenuf]

Here's the whole article. There's a little more to it then just a flight attendant taking the baby.

.
A flight attendant on a Southwest Airlines flight took custody of a baby girl after the child was slapped by her mother on Monday, the Albuquerque International Sunport police told ABC News.

When the plane landed in Albuquerque, the family was met by police. A Southwest Airlines spokeswoman told ABC News the local authorities were called "out of precaution for the child."

The parents were questioned by police and released to continue to their final destination.

According to a report from Albuquerque police, the parents, Lee Ann and Joseph Cid, were arguing on the flight, trying to get their 13-month-old daughter to stop crying, when the flight attendant, Beverly McCurley, intervened.

"She informed me several passengers had reported that a female subject traveling with a baby and her husband had been observed striking the child on the face in an attempt to get the child to stop crying," wrote the reporting officer.

"McCurley further stated she walked to the rear of the aircraft and observed the mother of the child identified as Lee Ann Cid strike the child with an open hand on the face in an attempt to get the child to stop crying. McCurley further stated the mother appeared agitated with the child and that the husband continued to yell at his wife to shut up due to her screaming at the child."

According to the police report, McCurley said the child had a black eye, but the parents blamed that on an uncle's dog.

"McCurley then stated she took the child from the mother due to her behavior and walked to the rear of the aircraft with the child identified as a 13-month-old female," said the police report. "McCurley then stated the father identified as Joseph C. Cid walked back to the rear of the aircraft, took custody of the child and stood on the rear of the aircraft until the child fell asleep."

Police said McCurley did the right thing, and said the parents were not abusing their daughter.

A flight attendant on a Southwest Airlines flight took custody of a baby girl after the child was slapped by her mother on Monday, the Albuquerque International Sunport police told ABC News.

"I think it was a solid move from the part of the flight attendant to take custody of the child," said airport police chief Marshall Katz. "It neutralized the situation, it calmed everybody down."

Southwest Airlines representative Whitney Eichinger confirmed to ABC News that there was an issue on the flight, but denied accounts that the flight attendant took the young child from its parents.

"What you read about the flight attendant taking the baby is not the case. She did it as a 'Would you like me to bounce your baby for you?'" Eichinger said.

"The family on board was having an altercation and their young child was upset. Our flight attendant offered to the parent -- offered to hold the child on board. Our attendants do that from time to time just to soothe the crying babies because they are used to walking up and down the aisles."

When called for clarification, the Albuquerque Sunport Police maintained that the child was taken into custody by the flight attendant.

The incident took place on board Monday's Southwest Flight 879, which originated in Dallas and stopped in Albuquerque before continuing to Seattle.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/baby-plane-flight-attendant-infant-parents-argued/story?id=11420912&page=1

 

[Mkrop]

According to the article, the flgith attendant took the baby so the father could then get up and get the child to calm her down.

I dont think the SW employee did anything wrong.

Now that mother should get smacked.

I dont smack my kids and I am not going to tell you (general you) whether or not to smack but this seemed over the top and suspicious behavior from the mother.

 

[LuvOrlando]

No matter what there was to it, can an airline act as child services just because they are in the air? Maybe they can. I don't know.

 

[phorsenuf]

No matter what there was to it, can an airline act as child services just because they are in the air? Maybe they can. I don't know.

She didn't act as child services. She was trying to help keep the child calm while the parents were fighting.

 

[JessicaR]

"Crew takes baby slapped by mom aboard plane"

So I just read an article on how a Southwest flight attendant took a woman's 1 year old away from her when she witnessed the woman slap her child. Personally, I don't believe in slapping kids so I don't hit mine. However, some people do think a slap does work and since the courts haven't said it's illegal on what grounds exactly did this woman remove the baby from its Mom? Not only did the attendant do this but since no-one stopped her the rest of the crew, what... thought this was an OK thing to do? How does some airline employee get to remove a child from it's mother's arms with the full weight of the US government behind her over a parenting style dispute? I bet if the mother tried to defend her right to care for her own baby during the flight she would have ended up arrested. How did we get here?

I'm all for security and safety and the changes that became necessary after September 11 but how did the sacrifices we've made for the greater good safety wise expand into flight attendants being able to remove a child from his/her parents custody? Are ALL our rights suspended the moment we climb onto an aircraft?

I'm completely stunned and am really going to reconsider getting on a plane with my kids if anyone on that plane could theoretically remove my minor child from my care 'just because'. Scary stuff.

The baby is a BABY! 13 months old. You think it wasn't?

 

[Piglets Mommy]

During the flight, the flight attendant temporarily took the child from the mother so that the husband could exit his seat and take the child to the back of the plane to attempt to calm her down.

The above is copy/pasted from the linked article it Tiger&Belle's post. Sounds like the flight attendant just took the baby for a minute so Dad could get up and take care of her......which is a good thing, cause it sounds like Mom was losing it.

ETA: Looks like there are 2 completely different articles on the subject....Holding a baby so someone can get up and "taking custody" are 2 different beasts.

 

[JessicaR]

She didn't act as child services. She was trying to help keep the child calm while the parents were fighting.

Exactly, the flight attendant was acting on behalf of an infant. Thank God someone did.

 

[ChrizJen]

I agree 100% with the airline crew. There is a fine line between spanking and abuse. Technically, spanking is defined as an open-handed swat OVER the clothing. When marks are present as a result of hitting a child, it's abuse. Period. Bruises and black eyes mean that it's gone far beyond spanking.
And besides, it makes me ill to think of someone spanking a defenseless 13-month-old. I aplaud the crew for stepping up, and I would have done the exact same thing!

 

[Hannathy]

If she took my child without my permission I would be charging her with kidnapping. That is not her right. She better have asked and got permission or we would be going to court.

Legally you are allowed to slap your child.

 

[mickeylove2]

No matter what there was to it, can an airline act as child services just because they are in the air? Maybe they can. I don't know.

Wow! Really? So you mean to tell me that if you were on an airplane with your SO and he was smacking you around and yelling at you, you wouldn't want somebody to intervene on your behalf? You would just want him to keep hitting you and have it escalate till he beat you to death? Think about it. This woman could have continued hitting the child, while being agitated, and the child could have ended up seriously hurt or dead. But the other adults around should have just let that happen? Nice.

 

[Missy1961]

Yes, you can legally slap your child. But this sounds like it went far beyond that. And we are talking about a 13 month old! and the flight attendant took the child away from mom so dad could comfort the baby, the baby wasn't taken very far away.

I say good job by the flight attendant.

 

[Wishing on a star]

This is NOT a difference in 'parenting style'.

This is a very clear physical assault.
On a one year old baby.
slapping/striking a one year old in the face.
IMHO, yes this is a crime... called child abuse.

This was clearly a physical and verbal altercation...
The flight crew were well within their authority to intervene and to separate the mother and the baby.

 

[Missy1961]

Wow! Really? So you mean to tell me that if you were on an airplane with your SO and he was smacking you around and yelling at you, you wouldn't want somebody to intervene on your behalf? You would just want him to keep hitting you and have it escalate till he beat you to death? Think about it. This woman could have continued hitting the child, while being agitated, and the child could have ended up seriously hurt or dead. But the other adults around should have just let that happen? Nice.

great points!

 

[M5ward]

If she took my child without my permission I would be charging her with kidnapping. That is not her right. She better have asked and got permission or we would be going to court.

Legally you are allowed to slap your child.

I believe that a well-placed smack on the hands or butt and an authoritative "NO" is certainly okay when your child is doing or touching something they shouldn't..BUT an open handed slap to the face or bare legs of a child is NOT going to stop that kid from crying. While it may be "legal" to slap your kid, there is a time and place and manner for it.
And, for crying out loud, this is a 13 month old baby; cuddling and consoling her might have done the trick better.