'Goofy' accused of shoving 2 at Disney
Thursday, September 16, 2004 Posted: 10:24 AM EDT (1424 GMT)
ORLANDO, Florida (AP) -- A Walt Disney World worker who was acquitted of charges he fondled a 13-year-old girl while dressed as Tigger has been suspended again, accused of shoving two people while in a Goofy costume.
His lawyer said the man was just "goofing around because he was Goofy."
Two photographers at Disney's Animal Kingdom said Michael Chartrand came up to them in his Goofy costume and shoved each in the chest, Orange County Sheriff's Capt. Bernie Presha said Wednesday.
The photographers, a male and female whose names were not released, work for Kodak at the park.
Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Polak said Chartrand was suspended August 30 and would remain so indefinitely. Chartrand also could face misdemeanor charges.
Jeffrey Kaufman, Chartrand's attorney in the Tigger case, said the new claims were bogus.
"Goofy is always playful," Kaufman told the Orlando Sentinel. "Of course he was goofing around because he was Goofy!"
Earlier this year, Disney suspended Chartrand after a 13-year-old accused him of fondling her while he was dressed as Tigger. A jury acquitted Chartrand of those charges, and Disney let him return to work August 6.
Kaufman said Disney sees Chartrand as a liability and is using a false claim against him. He also said the two Kodak employees shoved Chartrand back, as part of routine horseplay among cast members and greeters meant to entertain patrons.
"That's the joke about this," Kaufman said. "You're supposed to fool around, be animated. I knew for Michael it would be tough for him to go back. I told him he would be a walking bull's-eye."
Chartrand, 36, a native of England, had been living at his sister's home in nearby Kissimmee but was not there Wednesday. His sister, Fran Chartrand, referred all inquiries to Kaufman.
You need to check out the mug shot picture on CNN. Would you hire that guy to be around kids?
Why would a guy fresh off suspension run around being belligerent to park guests? That sounds bogus to me; did you notice they were photographers? I'll bet they were hounding and verbally abusing him because of the suspension and the previous accusation of which he was acquited, and he finally got fed up and gave them a shove.
Of course, you know what happens when you shove paparazzi ... they go straight to the press and try to make as big a deal out of it as they possibly can. Never mind the fact that there's no indication the poor innocent photographer was even knocked off his feet.
"It's not evil for God to do it. Or for someone to do it at God's command."- Jonathan Boyd on baby-killing
"you guys are fascinated with the use of those "rules of logic" to the extent that you don't really want to discussus anything."- GC
"I do not believe Russian Roulette is a stupid act" - Embracer of Darkness
"Viagra commercials appear to save lives" - tharkûn on US health care.
I wonder what TYPE of push it was. THe article just said he "shouved" them in the chest, but it didn't really say how forceful from what I saw.
When I went to Disney World I saw them taking peoples stuff and running off with it (they gave it back later, of course). Many people were involuntarily hugged, and one guy got a tap, but they never hurt anybody. Hmm. Weird.
Boyish-Tigerlilly wrote:I wonder what TYPE of push it was. THe article just said he "shouved" them in the chest, but it didn't really say how forceful from what I saw.
Of course. It's the gift shop's job to take all your money, not Goofy's.
Damien Sorresso
"Ever see what them computa bitchez do to numbas? It ain't natural. Numbas ain't supposed to be code, they supposed to quantify shit."
- The Onion
Stravo wrote:You need to check out the mug shot picture on CNN. Would you hire that guy to be around kids?
Jesus Christ! Its John Waters!
"Brian, if I parked a supertanker in Central Park, painted it neon orange, and set it on fire, it would be less obvious than your stupidity." --RedImperator
Well, nobody looks too good while scowling in a mugshot.
If Religion and Politics were characters on a soap opera, Religion would be the one that goes insane with jealousy over Politics' intimate relationship with Reality, and secretly murder Politics in the night, skin the corpse, and run around its apartment wearing the skin like a cape shouting "My votes now! All votes for me! Wheeee!" -- Lagmonster
Im playing Kingdom Hearts now, so hearing about Goofy beating the crap out of things didnt sound all THAT odd to me at first glance. But then again, it's Goofy.
The wisdom of PA:
-Normal Person + Anonymity + Audience = Total Fuckwad
