Cadet Suspended from West Point after getting beaten by Singers entourage

[Luigi59]

My money says he settles fairly quickly and for not a lot of money.

I'm guessing here that the singer probably doesn't have enough assets (unless King wants to take posession of all that luggage) to warrant a lot of attorney costs. These types who go road tours with the posse generally just get by financially.

Patty Labelle net worth = $40 million.

http://www.therichest.org/celebnetworth/celeb/singer/patti-labelle-net-worth/

 

[aglages]

aglages; as others have said, at the time, and the information at hand, WP made a very good decision at the time. You're implying or asking that they didn't do a thorough investigation at the time. I believe they did; just not complete.

We will have to disagree on this point. If the "proof is in the pudding" then clearly WP did not do a "thorough" enough job of investigating this matter.

And there was no way they were going to be able to do a complete investigation in 2 months. And based on the evidence they had at the time; including the cadet's past history; their decision was appropriate.

Still can't agree. A decision should have been made AFTER all the facts were gathered and verified. Clearly this was not the case. To suggest that it was OK to dis-enroll a cadet because WP had to get rid of him before he was actually commissioned seems weak...IMHO. Is there a policy/law that says all graduating Cadets must be commissioned in May/June....even those under investigation?

I already said, and believe whole heartily, had this cadet not been a "problem child" in the past; had this been a 1st offense; that West Point probably would have given him MORE of a benefit of the doubt and not suspended him.

Let me make sure I understand this: If WP decides that whatever offenses a Cadet has committed are NOT worthy of dis-enrollment and allows the Cadet to continue.....then any "supposed" or "reported" offenses after that are not worthy of a fair and non-rushed to judgment decision? Guilty or not....don't expect a decision based on actual verified and "thoroughly" investigated facts?

But the FACT that this cadet did not argue, fight, challenge, etc... WP's decision, proves that even HE understood the position that West Point was in.

Again we disagree. Neither of knows what Cadet King thought or how he handled the dis-enrollment behind the scenes. Perhaps he was told that if he ever wanted to finish his education at WP....not to make a public scene/spectacle about this. Perhaps after he was already beaten by LeBelles bodyguards, the HPD arresting him and now his brothers at WP kicking him to the curb that he just no longer had the will to fight.

Again; considering the circumstance, proof at hand at that point, time constraints prior to graduation and commissioning.....

Again we will need to disagree on this.

... West Point made the correct decision when they suspended him, and they made the right decision now by reinstating him.

NEWS RELEASE


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE RELEASE NO. 28-11
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY REINSTATES KING TO ACADEMY – Aug. 18, 2011

THEY? WP made the correct decision to reinstate him? I'm not sure I've seen ANY "right" decisions from WP in this matter.

Don't be a conspiracy theorist.

What conspiracy?

Don't believe they are incompetent.

All evidence to the contrary in THIS matter?
"Don't be..."
"Don't believe..."
Let me try a couple:
Don't be an excuse monger for the military. They can and do get it wrong occasionally.
Don't believe everything WP says just because they said it. Hard to believe but some officers do put their own needs and career goals ahead of those entrusted to their leadership.

On the contrary. They were being overly cautious. They made a decision that could both be upheld, AND REVERSED if necessary. Again. to WP.

Oh yah. Let's toss this cadet out and let someone else worry about whether it was right or not. In this case... to WP.

 

[LineInTheSand]

Keep him out, kids a bad seed. Far more trouble than a single WP cadet is worth.

 

[aglages]

Attention was placed on King when he was involved in an incident that occurred at the Houston Airport on March 11, while home on spring leave. At the time, he was on suspended separation resulting from previous administrative actions that prompted further assessment of his cadet record by the academy leadership.

You all did read the part that said he was already separated for another offense, right?

Really? Is that what "suspended separation" actually means?

It sounds to me (my opinion) that getting beaten up was a lucky thing for King, as now he's back at WP.

Lucky Cadet King. He was beat up, arrested and tossed out of WP.

 

[JMC0759]

Let's take WP out of the equation. How would you feel if you were accused of a crime and your employer tells you that you're history because of the accusation. Six months later your boss tells you - hey sorry about that - all is forgiven.

The damage is done. The cadet's repuation will always be tainted. A sad situation made worse by the fact that he did absolutely nothing wrong.

 

[patentesq]

Folks, I respectfully don't think we should be commenting on this case without having access to all of the facts. And even if we did have all of the facts (and only then were in a position to form any legitimate opinion on the matter), how is it our business?

Time to shut down the thread? It seems to be heading in the wrong direction.

 

[LineInTheSand]

Let's take WP out of the equation. How would you feel if you were accused of a crime and your employer tells you that you're history because of the accusation. Six months later your boss tells you - hey sorry about that - all is forgiven.

The damage is done. The cadet's repuation will always be tainted. A sad situation made worse by the fact that he did absolutely nothing wrong.

Drunk (or under the influence) service members rarely do "nothing wrong" when they get beat up.

 

[aglages]

Drunk (or under the influence) service members rarely do "nothing wrong" when they get beat up.

Which article listed the results of Cadet King's blood alcohol test? I believe that Cadet King was legally of an age to drink.

 

[aglages]

Folks, I respectfully don't think we should be commenting on this case without having access to all of the facts.

By my count you have six posts in this thread. Respectfully, when did you come to the conclusion that "we" should not be commenting on this case without having access to all of the facts?

 

[bruno]

Calm down folks- The thread won't close unless the posters feel incapable of refraining from sniping at each other at which point the thread will be shut down. Keep it within bounds.
I'm not sure why some of you find this a particularly hot topic. There clearly is no poster on this forum with all of the pertinent facts in this case. This cadet already had disciplinary issues at USMA and was on the fine edge of being tossed before this. He had disciplinary action taken, was suspended, the punishment has since been appealed and reversed and he is now back at USMA. What else is there to really say here or to bash each other about. So -if you feel it necessary to continue on this particular subject- keep it reasonable and respectful of each other.

 

[falconfamily]

Things are getting a bit heated here.

As it stands now, King's been reinstated to West Point. No one here really knows any of King's history or why the Dept of the Army chose to reinstate him. If the primary reason that King was suspended/expelled from WP was because LaBelle's folks beat him up and lied about it, it seems that the situation has worked itself out. As I said in an earlier post, justice may be self healing but it can take a while.

 

[Christcorp]

Too many here have the opinion that everything is "Black and White". That isn't realy life, nor is it the academies. There are many times when students are suspended or employees are let go when an INDIVIDUAL INCIDENT does not warrant it. However; a "HISTORY" of incidents do warrant it. That is why I said, that had this individual not had any past altercations, they would have probably been give a higher level of "Benefit of the Doubt".

Unfortunately, these polyanna scenarios of being fired because of an incident are off base. If you had previous issues at work, and the most recent was the straw that had your employer dismiss you, that is warranted. However; in that situation; there is time to finish an investigation. So that scenario isn't practical. However; there are a LOT of people who are suspended WITH PAY while an investigation is ongoing. That is about as close as this cadet's case can be compared to. He was suspended from WP, WITH PAY (Working active duty), until the investigation was completed. What is wrong with this? Nothing. It's a rhetorical question, I'm not expecting a argument.

We can definitely disagree all you want to. But the fact is: This cadet had a PAST. WP was warranted in suspending him, with pay, until the investigation goes on. Allowing him to finish 2 months of school and become commissioned would have been the WRONG answer had he been found guilty.

 

[Boozebin]

To bring this full circle the thing I would like to point out to our cadets and future candidates is that you don’t get many chance in life let alone second chances…. Don’t squander them and don’t put yourself in a position your past actions reflect on you poorly and you’re naturally assumed to be the idiot without given a fair shake. You’ll make mistakes, everyone does, it’s how you handle yourself after those mistakes that matter. Learn from them, correct them and move on don’t keep making the same mistake over and over again. Remember doing something over and over again and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity!

 

[Pima]

Here is why IMPO he has a case.

Google WP Cadet King, there are 897,000 results.

http://www.google.com/search?q=Cade...pw.r_cp.&fp=9e10912d389dfd2a&biw=1024&bih=578

SA forums is the top of the list.

Forever his name is on the internet for all to see, just like the Duke LAX kids.

Let's be honest here how many of you have close to 1 million results when you search your name? Do you all believe when he goes for his TS clearance that this will have no impact and he will get it as fast as another cadet? Do you all believe he won't be known as that guy who got in a fight with Ms. LaBelle?

Boozebin, I 1000% agree, cadets and candidates don't realize that. I would also say they don't realize that FB and social networks are not as private as they may believe. I don't have my kids passwords to check in on them, but because they post on the internet I can find them very easily....reason why I never asked for passwords. I may be old, but I too was young and can remember how to work the system! Honestly, I chuckle when they make FB pages for XXSA Class of XXXX, the fact is anyone can join, and everyone can see your posts and pics. Every open forum you join let's more and more people see you. I know a GS 15 who only belongs to FB as a research tool for employment. I know ROTC commanders that do it too.

Like I said the internet has a much bigger impact than you can imagine as you post those HS graduation pictures!

 

[aglages]

We can definitely disagree all you want to. But the fact is: This cadet had a PAST. WP was warranted in suspending him, with pay, until the investigation goes on. Allowing him to finish 2 months of school and become commissioned would have been the WRONG answer had he been found guilty.

Where do you get these "facts" from? In a previous post you said that "West Point made the correct decision when they suspended him, and they made the right decision now by reinstating him." That wasn't true and not a fact.

Now you say that "WP was warranted in suspending him, with pay, until the investigation goes on." Where did this "fact" come from? Cadet King was suspended from West Point as a result of the episode and placed in a "mentorship" program which required active-duty status of at least a year. Being put in active duty status as an enlisted man a couple of months before graduation is "suspension with pay"? That's an interesting interpretation of a "fact".

Unless you have a source that I haven't seen, WP didn't continue to investigate anything. They kicked him to the curb. THAT is a fact. If it were not for the Department of the Army’s mandatory review of an administrative action under Army Regulation 210-26, section III, Honor and Discipline....Cadet King would not be at WP for the beginning of classes this year. That is another fact.

Yes "We can definitely disagree all you want to." Evidently we also disagree on the "facts" of this situation. Fortunately we are able to respectfully disagree.

 

[patentesq]

By my count you have six posts in this thread. Respectfully, when did you come to the conclusion that "we" should not be commenting on this case without having access to all of the facts?

I apologize, aglages, but I'm having a bit of a difficulty following your logic here. Is there a direct correlation between the number of posts that a member contributes to a thread and the strength/weakness or his or her position? Enlighten me, so I can properly answer your question.

 

[aglages]

Enlighten me, so I can properly answer your question.

It seems to me that if you truly felt that we should NOT be "commenting on this case without having access to all of the facts" that you would have stopped commenting BEFORE you posted six times on the topic. Does the fact that you made this suggestion after posting five previous times on this case provide a direct correlation between the number of posts that you have contributed to this thread and the strength/weakness of THIS suggestion? IMHO....yes.

I think West Point did the right thing here.

 

[bruno]

Last call before this goes down- I will shut this off if there are anymore posts targetted at each other. Capiche?

 

[aglages]

Time to shut down the thread?

Last call before this goes down- I will shut this off if there are anymore posts targetted at each other. Capiche?

Is it possible that some posters would RATHER have this thread shut down than continue discussing something that may not reflect too favorably on WP?

 

[bruno]

No. What will happen in this thread is that there will be no more posts that are about the other posters. Posters are free to post about this incident, and are free to suggest that the thread has been exhausted as well. This is pretty standard on all of these forums. If you don't understand the difference- then you are of course free to not post.