Tigger" suspended after allegedly hitting kidWinnie the Pooh's striped sidekick Tigger -- well, a Walt Disney World employee dressed as the cartoon character -- has been suspended after a family alleged that he punched their 14-year-old son during a home-video session.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office in Florida said Saturday that it took a report from New Hampshire resident Jerry Monaco Sr. stating that Tigger struck son Jerry Jr. on the head at about 12:30 p.m. Friday. The incident is alleged to have taken place at Disney-MGM Studios.
"He felt that Tigger essentially punched his son and he filed a police report," sheriff's spokesman Deputy Carlos M. Padilla told the Orlando Sentinel. "Right now the allegation is that a battery occurred. Of course, we see a little of that [family video] tape, and we see what appears to be a battery. We need to talk to all sides to see exactly what happened."
Padilla identified the Tigger impersonator as Michael J. Fedelem, 31, of Kissimmee, Florida. Investigators have not yet spoken with Fedelem, and the investigation is "ongoing," Padilla said.
Fedelem has been suspended until an internal investigation and the sheriff's criminal inquiry are completed, said Disney officials.
"We received a complaint that a character allegedly struck a guest," said Disney spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez. "Naturally, a physical altercation between characters and guests is not tolerated."
Fedelem could not be reached for comment Saturday evening.
Jerry Monaco Sr. taped Friday's confrontation, and the family decided to approach police after they reviewed the footage, Padilla said.
The father said Fedelem intentionally hit his son "on or about the head," said Padilla. "The tape only shows a fraction of what happened. Now it's up to us to find out what led up to that."
According to the Sentinel, the Monacos' home video shows a very tall Tigger standing next to Jerry Monaco Jr. while his mother and two brothers kneel or stand in front of the big cat. Within seconds, Tigger grabs and locks the teen's left arm with his right arm, then throws a left jab at Jerry Jr.'s face.
Although the Monacos could not be reached Saturday at their Greenville, N.H. home, the two Jerry Monacos told TV reporters that Tigger's rabbit punch was unprovoked.
"At first, I thought he was kidding and all, just playing around, and then when he actually grabbed my arm," said Jerry Jr.
The family's Disney vacation also took a beating, observed Jerry Sr. "You don't come here for this, I mean, Disney is supposed to be a safe place. It's supposed to be a place that you come and enjoy with your family," the father said.
"At first, I was upset at my son. "I thought he did something to Tigger. But then I reviewed it and it is pretty clear; for no reason, he just clocked him in the face."
"How hard did he hit you, (son)?" he asked.
"Pretty hard," Jerry Jr. replied. "I could still feel it even though he was wearing the padded gloves."
Monaco said he had his arm around the costumed character when the attack occurred. "No provoking at all. It was just out of the blue."
Disney officials called the family, said WKMG-TV, the CBS affiliate in Orlando, Florida.
"I just wanted to follow up with you and let you know that we have spoken to the cast member in question and have reacted very strongly toward him," a man identifying himself as Jean Erik Redrupp, general manager of park operations at Disney-MGM Studios, said in a phone recording.
"The general manager apologized to me," said Monaco Sr. "Everybody will come up and apologize to me but Tigger. He won't be a man about it and get out of the costume and come out and apologize to my son.
"I didn't want VIP treatment. I didn't want an extra day at Disney. I didn't want any of that. I wanted him to apologize, and that is the one thing that they won't do."
This is the second time in almost three years that a Disney worker dressed as Tigger has landed in trouble.
In February 2004, a 13-year-old girl and her mother reported that a costumed Tigger groped their breasts during a photo session at Magic Kingdom's Toon Town.
Sheriff's officials arrested Michael Chartrand, 38.
However, he was reinstated as a Disney employee after a jury found the man not guilty.http://forum.bcdb.com/gforum.cgi?post=72597