Chicago Aviation Security Chief Is Fired Weeks After United Episode

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/28/us/ohare-security-chief-fired.html

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Officers with the Chicago Department of Aviation at O’Hare International Airport provoked widespread outrage when they forcibly removed a passenger from his seat on a United Airlines flight. Now their supervisor has been fired, though not for a reason directly related to that case.

The department’s security chief, Jeffrey Redding, 54, was terminated Thursday from his deputy commissioner position six days after The Chicago Tribune reported on a “confidential” memo detailing claims of sexual harassment against Mr. Redding while he worked at the Illinois Tollway. As a result of the complaints, Mr. Redding was fired as the head of toll operations in August 2015.

Mr. Redding began working for Chicago’s aviation department as its chief of security last year, which put him in charge of security at both O’Hare and Midway International Airport. Ginger Evans, who runs Chicago’s aviation department, told The Tribune that he had “interviewed well” at the time and did not disclose the harassment claims.

The 2015 memo, written by a state official, said that a woman who worked as a toll collector had accused Mr. Redding of pressuring her for sex and money. “As a supervisor, his behavior was especially troubling and created meaningful exposure for the agency if not dealt with promptly and firmly,” the memo said, according to The Tribune.

Mr. Redding did not answer a Friday phone call seeking comment, but he had told the Tribune the allegations were false.

His termination from the aviation department came on the same day lawyers announced that Dr. David Dao, the man who was injured when officers dragged him from his seat, had reached a settlement with the airline for an undisclosed amount of money. The four officers involved have been placed on administrative leave. United announced a number of measures this week to avoid similar cases in the future.