State: Employee dressed as Tigger accused of hitting child, Disney says

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Employee dressed as Tigger accused of hitting child, Disney says

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published January 8, 2007

ORLANDO - Walt Disney World officials have temporarily suspended a man in costume as the character Tigger after he was accused of hitting a child, a Disney spokeswoman said Saturday.

Jerry Monaco of New Hampshire was visiting Disney-MGM Studios with his family on Friday when he said his son, Jerry Jr., posed for a photo with Tigger. The father was also videotaping the scene, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

The father said Michael J. Fedelem hit his son "on or about the head," said sheriff's spokesman Carlos M. Padilla.

The Sheriff's Office is investigating.

Fedelem could not be reached.

[Last modified January 8, 2007, 10:28:39]

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by brandon	02/12/07 02:58 PM
i didn't know disney was mean to kids (apart from the sublinimal messages)

by cimarron	01/09/07 11:59 PM
I live in California(The land of fruits and nuts) The boy and family need to stay HOME. Don't go to Anaheim to Disneyland. They would be more assaulted driving through east LA then what Tigger did. That kid was scarred from his pitiful family first.

by Marion	01/08/07 06:43 PM
I would like to see the whole video. Tigger might have been just kidding with him cause it wasn't even a punch and yes kids that age do mess with those people in customs. Him going to the hospitol is stupid he didn't even punch it was a slapwithglove

by Darla	01/08/07 06:37 PM
I also saw the video and agree that it was not worth a hospital trip nor is it worth a lawsuit or loss of a job. It did look provoked, and all it was was a simple tap on the back of the head. Hope Disney gives them nothing.

by debbie	01/08/07 06:11 PM
i saw the video and i think tigger was volated that is a shame that a kid would go as far as to try to fool with tigger.

by Dick	01/08/07 03:03 PM
I saw the video on a news program, the program ran the sequence several times. This kid is a creep and should have had his butt kicked. He was obviously doing an annoying trick to the character Tigger.

by Aaron	01/08/07 01:52 PM
Now why would Tigger hit the kid. We should see the video and I am inclined to believe the father is trying to get some easy money or highly sensitive.

by Kel	01/08/07 01:29 PM
I want to know what the kid did behind Tigger's back to make him jump like that. Noone's talked about what the kid did to provoke the actor.

by Joanne	01/08/07 01:26 PM
Is it possible that the kid NEEDED wacking and he did the parents a favor?

by Joe	01/08/07 12:50 PM
Looks like another attempted rip off after a playful accident. What a shame if Tigger loses his job in such circumstances

by Ellen	01/08/07 11:26 AM
The news makes this out like Tigger punched the kid. Come on. It looked like an accident - the kid was not even bruised. Just another idiot trying to make money. Hopefully the people at Disney realize this and do not fire Tigger.

by June	01/08/07 10:25 AM
A tigger of Disney was accused of "fondling" a child several years ago. They were free after it was determined that you are unable to know where any of your hands are in that terrible suit you have to wear.They must have just seen the story & saw$$?

by Kathy	01/08/07 09:36 AM
I think that kid was trying to yank off tiggers mask when he reached behind tigger. Tigger stopped him. That the kid went to the hospital for 'injuries' is proof this family is a bunch of losers trying to profit off a video that shows little.

by Katrina	01/08/07 08:58 AM
I looked at it too and thought the same thing. We have a lawsuit-happy society and anybody and anything is game. Unfortunate!

by Scott	01/08/07 07:07 AM
I watched the video a few times and it looks like it was a playful accident. To me it looked like the employee went to turn around and accidently hit the kid, I am guessing the family just wanted their 15 minutes of fame.