20/20 12-1-06

[Garry]

Anyone else watch this episode. I couldn't believe how stupid these managers are. Anyone with ant common sense knows that strip searches are only done by uniformed police of the same gender in a private room and done after an arrest.

Managers have no legal rights to strip search an employee for any reason. I hope the girl wins her lawsuit against McDonald's. I'm totally embarrassed to have worked at one now.

[usuallylurk]

Originally posted by Garry:
Anyone else watch this episode. I couldn't believe how stupid these managers are. Anyone with ant common sense knows that strip searches are only done by uniformed police of the same gender in a private room and done after an arrest.

Managers have no legal rights to strip search an employee for any reason. I hope the girl wins her lawsuit against McDonald's. I'm totally embarrassed to have worked at one now.

I didn't see the episode -- but I think this was the case where the manager allegedly got a phone call from someone claiming to be the police and the manager then proceeded to order the strip-search, based on the "phone call"....

She has a case, whether it's against McDonald's Corporation or not, I don't know -- but if the manager conducted the "investigation" -- he's gonna pay -- and perhaps spend some hard time at the graybar hotel.

"I was just following orders", historically, has not been an effective criminal or civil defense. Especially on an anonymous phone call -- if this is the case we're talking about.

Doing it on the basis of a phone call -- if a call actually did take place, the manager should have just hung up --- or -- better yet -- say "she's going to be in tomorrow" ... call the police and wait for the perp to call back, this time with the tracer in place.

The manager pretends to be going through the investigation, and bozo is caught in the act within a few minutes.

[Bob S.]

I agree. She should have known when the police didn't immediately arrive that something was up. Doing a strip search was going beyond the bounds of common sense. A search done not officially in the presence of the proper authorities taints any evidence gathered. She was stupid to think that a police officer would suggest that brining in someone else to watch the employee who wasn't even a part of the staff (her bf).

But the manager's boyfriend/fiancee was even more insane. He had this girl (16-year-old) performing demeaning acts while naked like jumping up and down (to make sure she wasn't hiding anything on her body!?!), spanking her, and making her perform oral sex on him.

I am glad that he was sentenced for his misdeeds. The manager wasn't prosecuted that I recall--was she fired? The man who wsa charged with making the calls--this was not the only one he had done, was found not guilty and is free.

Bob S.

[LamontCranston]

I saw part of this show. There's no freakin' way that manager lady should be managing anything. If you can't get fired for that sort of negligence, well then empty the cash drawers on your way home every night because you can't get fired.

I wonder if she was paid for the appearence on the show.
Why do they have a camera recording everything in that small office?
Does McDonald's normally buy spots on this 20/20 show and were they notified in advance of the content and air date?

I wish the girl had walked out into the restaraunt and said, "They took my clothes and stole my cell phone. Can somebody call the police?"

[BeachBum]

I saw it and could not believe what I was watching. It was almost as though it was set up. I cannot believe that someone charged with running a business would be so gullible and stupid!!!

[Bob S.]

I was wrong. The manager was not only fired, but entered an Alford plea after being charged with unlawful imprisonment. Her sentence was probation.

The fiancee was sentenced to five years in prison for sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, and unlawful imprisonment. In his testimony, he claimed he was merely following the directions of the caller who identified himself as a police officer. That is the lamest excuse I have ever heard.

The maintenence man, whom the fiancee handed the phone to next, was the one had common sense and quickly figured out that this person was not a police officer. If only he was the first one to answer the phone...

To read the four page story, go to ABCNews.

Bob S.

[Captain Curmudgeon]

This happened in rural Utah in 2002 and I used a modification of it in a novel (unfinished).

I'm happy to see the whole thing wound up and ended, although it makes what would have been a nifty part of my novel unusable.

[Garry]

It's not only happened in Utah and Florida but all over the US. Now that it's out in the open, the calls have stopped.

At the end of the report, John Q. said the young lady involved had a case agaist McD's and that it was still in litigation.

It just goes to show you that a manager is not always as "smart" as the maintenance person.