A Canadian contributor to CNN news coverage was fired from his day job for tardiness… and bringing shame to our nation.
A Toronto flight simulator business owner has fired an instructor who figured prominently in CNN's coverage of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, saying he frequently showed up late and "shamed Canadians" by dressing down.
uFly company owner Claudio Teixeira said he fired Mitchell Casado this week, partly because he refused to dress professionally on camera, which made Canadians "look very bad all over the world."
Casado wore jeans and plaid shirts while appearing on CNN's coverage of the search for the missing flight. He and CNN's Martin Savidge reported from a uFly simulator that is the same model of the lost plane.
Teixeira’s main reason for firing Casado was absenteeism – the employee did not show up on Tuesday when customers had the simulator booked.
"This is not the first time. He's been warned before," he told The Associated Press.
The business owner also said he had received a number of email complaints about the instructor's way of dressing during the time he appeared on CNN.
"Even though I let him be on TV he shamed us Canadians and shamed my company with the way he was dressing like he was 15 years old," he said. "People were complaining that it wasn't professional at all ... If you go to any plane you don't see them in shorts and sandals."
In a tweet about the incident, Casado wrote "My boss had me training a new guy the last few days, and now that he can do my job, and CNN left, he fired me. That's Ufly."
Savidge and Casado spent 12 to 18-hour days in the cockpit, using the machine to simulate what might happen under certain scenarios. They logged so much airtime reporting from the fake cockpit that the hashtag #freemartinsavidge appeared on Twitter.
Teixeira called Casado a nice guy and wished him luck but said a change had to be made.
"I am the boss. I am the owner. I put in the money. It has to be my rules. If you don't agree with them you have to find another job," he said.
He said he gave Casado two-weeks pay.
uFly company owner Claudio Teixeira said he fired Mitchell Casado this week, partly because he refused to dress professionally on camera, which made Canadians "look very bad all over the world."
Casado wore jeans and plaid shirts while appearing on CNN's coverage of the search for the missing flight. He and CNN's Martin Savidge reported from a uFly simulator that is the same model of the lost plane.
Teixeira’s main reason for firing Casado was absenteeism – the employee did not show up on Tuesday when customers had the simulator booked.
"This is not the first time. He's been warned before," he told The Associated Press.
The business owner also said he had received a number of email complaints about the instructor's way of dressing during the time he appeared on CNN.
"Even though I let him be on TV he shamed us Canadians and shamed my company with the way he was dressing like he was 15 years old," he said. "People were complaining that it wasn't professional at all ... If you go to any plane you don't see them in shorts and sandals."
In a tweet about the incident, Casado wrote "My boss had me training a new guy the last few days, and now that he can do my job, and CNN left, he fired me. That's Ufly."
Savidge and Casado spent 12 to 18-hour days in the cockpit, using the machine to simulate what might happen under certain scenarios. They logged so much airtime reporting from the fake cockpit that the hashtag #freemartinsavidge appeared on Twitter.
Teixeira called Casado a nice guy and wished him luck but said a change had to be made.
"I am the boss. I am the owner. I put in the money. It has to be my rules. If you don't agree with them you have to find another job," he said.
He said he gave Casado two-weeks pay.
