Broadway usher fired for sneaking into performance of RAISIN attended by the Obamas

[CarlosAlberto]

She made a poor choice. She's unemployed. The President of the United States is safe and well. Nothing to see here.




LMAO

[PalJoey]

If there had been an assassination attempt that night--and everyone knows that's why there is so much security for POTUS appearances--they would have found out very quickly that the Shubert Organization didn't take proper precautions.

It would have been an embarrassment not only for the Shuberts but also for New York City, and it would have put an indelible stain onto the history of American theater.

The Secret Service would never want to allow any president to go to the theater again.

[AC126748]

Actions have consequences. That's really what it comes down to.

[Gothampc]

Posting a picture with security of a terminated employee is more common than you realize.

In this situation, I think the firing depends on other past actions. If this usher can find an instance when another employee was on premises when they shouldn't have been and was not fired, then she has a pretty good case for reinstatement.

But I don't think security and policy should be set because she's the first black usher to see the first black President watching the first black play. If policy is set regarding sentiment, then they'll have to do it for the first "Asian" and the first "gay" and the first "trans-gender" and the list will never end.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Problem is, Gotham, it's not as serious an offense if another employee had been on premises any other time when they weren't supposed to. It's really serious when the president is there and you're on the premises when you're not supposed to be.

She should have stood outside and waited to see him.

[Jordan Catalano]

Da Fuk?

The policy is that if you sneak into an area where the leader of the free world is, than you have to face the consequences. I don't understand why this is a complicated notion for some people.

[emo_geek]

I agree with national security on this one. That place was packed with extra bodies that day, and she really shouldn't have shown up. Her intentions and service were noble.

[veronicamae]

Is house security being punished as well? At least it was just her and not you know, an assassin.

[Jane2]

"But I don't think security and policy should be set because she's the first black usher to see the first black President watching the first black play. "

Who said anything about black? What are you talking about?

[GilmoreGirlO2]

The thing that gets me, though, is that she didn’t really “breach security”. The House Manager, her superior, gave clearance to let her in and I am sure she had to go through screening by the Secret Service. If she had snuck by the Secret Service OR her HM, that would be a whole different matter. But, it seems she specifically sought out the HM who then allowed her permission to enter. She then was let in by the Secret Service who, I’m sure, gave her the same screening they likely gave everyone else.

Of course, I understand that the Shuberts may have had to fire her to save their own butts. And, it is hard to take a definite side when we may not know the whole story. But, with the information we know, just looking at this specific information, this punishment seems quite extreme. I wish the best for her.

It does seem the HM should be taking some of the fall for this, too. Even if this Usher did lie and say she was on that night, I am sure the HM had a list of who was actually on, especially given the extreme circumstances. Sure, in the moment, he/she could have forgotten, but one would think, more than any other night, he/she would have been paying specific attention to each of her employees and who was permitted in or not.

Either way, it’s a sad result. Understandable on both sides, but still a shame.

[Jordan Catalano]

Goth will take any chance to turn something into a race issue.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Also, was she a regular in that house? Because if she was a regular, she wouldn't have been "scheduled." As a regular you are understood to work all eight shows (I believe six is the minimum you must work within any given week) and you take off when you wish, upon which a substitute takes your place. Of course, it could just be how the article was worded (especially since she's described as having a locker, which a substitute wouldn't usually have unless they were there frequently), but especially if she wasn't a regular it was totally trespassing.

[Jane2]

"I wish the best for her."

She needs all the good wishes she can get. Now that it's public that she lied and planned to sneak in to see the president, her judgment on a job may now be questionable. A sad situation. In time it will be forgotten, hopefully.

[bwayto]

This just seems like a bad situation to be in from both sides.

She did come to work when she was not supposed to be there. That is a breach of the rules on her part. The HM did give her clearance to enter, however. It doesn't explicitly state she said she was there to work - just that the HM confirmed she worked there.

I'm sure they didn't want to fire her, but they likely had no choice. She broke the rules on a day with severely heightened security procedures. If she had come any other day, I doubt we'd be hearing about it, though.

[Jordan Catalano]

Facebook is blowing the fuk up today with outrage over this. People really aren't taking the time to think about what she actually did and they (especially a few very notable performers) are coming off as really ignorant with their outrage.

[Jordan Catalano]

" If she had come any other day, I doubt we'd be hearing about it, though.

Of course we wouldn't be hearing about it, because that day was not an ordinary day. They couldn't have had a more important person on the face of the planet there that day. So on days like that, if you fuk up, you pay the price.

[ArtMan]

GilmoreGirlO2, I didn't read it that the "house manager gave her clearance to let her in". I read it as once she was in the theatre, the house manager verified to Secret Service that she worked there. Big difference. I did not see anything in the article that the House Manager was present when she entered the building. Woops I reread the article. It's very misleading. If she was outside the doors and was let in...then that is not sneaking. There is more to this story. But I still say, if she was a 5 star employee, she would have been scheduled to work in the first place.

[Gothampc]

"The thing that gets me, though, is that she didn’t really “breach security”. The House Manager, her superior, gave clearance to let her in and I am sure she had to go through screening by the Secret Service."

But in this instance, the HM may not have had the right to give this clearance. The Secret Service screens people very thoroughly and I'm sure that the Shubert Organization had to submit employee information days ahead of the POTUS arrival.

[CarlosAlberto]

The House Manager should be fired as well. He/She saw her there and confirmed to Secret Service that she was an employee and was LET IN.

So the House Manager just gets a slap on the wrist?

[Gothampc]

"Who said anything about black? What are you talking about?"

Read the article. The NY Times decided to make this a story about a black woman. I can bet you anything if this had been a white person, we wouldn't even be hearing about it.

"Ms. McIntyre is African-American, which was rare for ushers when she started out. To see Barack and Michelle, watching a black cast led by Denzel? As she puts it: “Oh. My. God.”

[CarlosAlberto]

I'm going to have to side with Gothampc on this one.

That paragraph is transparent.

[neonlightsxo]

Broadway ushers are unionized. What is the union saying or doing about this?

Also, I agree that the HM should share the blame.

[CarlosAlberto]

Her union will not touch this with a ten foot pole. She breached security...and not just *any* security but the security of the POTUS and the FLOTUS.

However, I wonder why the House Manager has avoided termination.

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Exactly, Carlos. The Usher may have showed up thinking that she would see if she got approval by the HM to come in. She did, so she probably thought nothing was wrong with the situation. Not to say the Usher isn’t also at fault (the practice of an HM letting Ushers on their day off come see the show is clearly not allowed ever, but done anyway), but I think the idea that she “snuck” in seems incorrect. She was given approval by her superior and, it seems, went through Secret Service like everyone else.

From the outside, though, it’s hard to know the full story and exactly what happened. But, if the information we have is correct, it just seems that the HM should likely be the one taking the brunt of this punishment.

And, yes, the article clearly is focused on the fact that it's a black usher wanting to see the first black POTUS watch a show with a black cast. I'm not sure if she were white if we would hear about it (I honestly don't know), but the article did clearly choose to focus on how, because of these circumstances, this was a very special moment for her to witness.

[Kad]

It's possible the HM is the one who reported her.

The article is extremely vague about the HM's role. All it says is that the usher claims to have seen the HM, and that they confirmed she was an employee. That's all.

Who's to say the HM didn't see her, look at the approved schedule, notice she wasn't there, and contact a higher-up?

[GilmoreGirlO2]

The article made it sound like the apprentice manager was the one who reported her, because he/she questioned her after the show.