Kenneth Tate security guard fired after accompanying President Barack Obama inside an elevator. His job as a private security was reportedly the best he has ever had, until he lost it.
Tate has worked for many years as a construction worker and corrections officer. However, it would appear that his favorite employment was the one that he had at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which paid him $42,000 a year.
Around seven weeks ago, he was assigned to accompany US President Obama who was visiting the agency's headquarters for a briefing on Ebola. He was going to meet, for the first time, the country's first black president, who was a man whom he deeply admired.
Sadly, however, by the time Obama's visit was over, Kenneth Tate security guard fired was on the way to losing his job.
As Obama's motorcade was preparing to leave the premises, Kenneth Tate security guard fired took out his cellphone and attempted to take a picture with his idol as a memento. However, this angered Secret Service agents and told him that he had gotten far too close to the President. They relayed the incident to Tate's bosses, and saying that they were angry would be an understatement.
The 47-year-old Tate said in an interview a week ago, "This was unjust and has been a nightmare. I've tried to rationalize it. It won't go away."
Moreover, it took a few weeks for the full consequences of what happened became clear. An investigation was conducted shortly after Obama visited the agency. It was then found out that Kenneth Tate security guard fired was actually carrying with him a firearm that was issued to him by the CDC, which violates the protocols of the Secret Service.
It was also a security lapse that Julia Pierson, the director of the agency at the time, failed to mention to the White House.
It might have been a personal issue for Tate as it concerned him losing his job, but the attention on the incident grew into a debate over whether or not the Secret Service was failing in their most basic duties.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
