What was supposed to be a dream trip to Walt Disney World turned into a nightmare for 3-year old Lucy Forck and her family at St. Louis’ Lambert Field Airport.
3-year old Lucy, who is in a wheelchair because she suffers from spina-bifida, was nearly subjected to an aggressive TSA pat-down at the airport. The incident happened earlier this month as the Forck family was departing to Walt Disney World. A TSA agent pulled the child aside after an alarm went off.
A video of the incident showing the crying child can be see on The Washington Times website.
Nathan Forck, her dad and an attorney told Fox News “They [TSA] specifically told me that they were singling her out for this special treatment because she’s in a wheelchair. They are specifically singling out disabled people for this special scrutiny. It’s rather offensive to me as a father of a disabled child. We are not unreasonable people,” he said. “But to say you are going to do a bodily search with no probable cause whatsoever – just because she is in a wheelchair – that was offensive.”
In the video Lucy is shown crying hysterically, surrounded by several TSA agents. Her stuffed animal is also taken away from her.
Lucy, who has spina-bifida and is unable to walk, is seen in hysterical tears, surrounded by a wall of agents; her comfort friend, Lamby, a stuffed animal, physically taken from her.
How do you think this situation should have been handled to avoid this kind of outcome? Let us know your opinion.
Related articles
- TSA apologizes for screening of 3-year-old traveler in wheelchair (stltoday.com)
- TSA Detains 3-year-old in Wheelchair (radio.foxnews.com)
Whether Tara is helping people make a memory with a trip to Disney (or anywhere else for that matter) or she is helping to write all the news and gossip to keep you in the know! She also has a brand new facebook page for even more tidbits on Disney and travel, so visit her at Magical Memories and the Mouse.
Let our friends at Destinations to Travel help you book your next Disney Vacation. They are the preferred Travel Agency of Chip and Company and Disney Addicts, and who we use ourselves.
Get started below for your FREE No Obligation Quote.
Book With our friends at Destinations to Travel
For the BEST in Disney, Universal, Dollywood, and SeaWorld Theme Park News, Entertainment, Merchandise & More follow us on, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. Don't forget to check out the Chip and Company Radio Network too!
What I’m reading here as a quote from the father doesn’t seem to fall in alignment with what I heard/saw on the video. When an alarm is set off and there is nothing (like earrings/watch) that can be removed to stop the alarm, they do a pat down/test search). There is no discrimination in that fact. No targeting children, wheelchairs etc. I’ve had it done, my husband has. In the video, all seemed calm except the child crying for her toy, which was obviously taken away to be scanned and then given back when the mother asked. What is wrong with this, it’s standard procedure. Or maybe the mother had put the toy in the buckets to be scanned before this all happened and that is when the child started crying. Can’t tell from ths video, but the rules would have been to put the toy in the bucket prior to going through the scanner. The child then stopped crying immediately when she got it back. I don’t know, I don’t see this as alarming, I thought the agents were respectful, the mother was respectful, they respected her no touch wishes. Don’t see the issue except emotional one from seeing an upset disabled child. I feel badly but not enough to say that TSA needs to change.
Unfortunately a wheelchair is an ideal place to conceal things to bring on board an aircraft and some very unscrupulous people are not above using children to cover for their misdeeds, however these agents should have some training in how to deal with this type of situation in a more caring and sensitive way. To terrorize a child like that is an awful thing, even if they were doing their job.