Etheridge's Office Disputes Claim

Friday, June 18, 2010

Former Resident Recalls Run-In With Etheridge

The story about Etheridge published on Friday, June 18. Click here to read the story.

A spokesman for Congressman Bob Etheridge is disputing claims made by former Moore County resident Brandon Leslie about an incident 14 years ago.

The two had an encounter during a football game at Pinecrest High School in the fall of 1996.

Leslie was a senior. Etheridge, then state superintendent of public instruction, was running against Republican Congressman David Funderburk. Moore County was part of the 2nd District, which Democrat Etheridge now represents.

Leslie, who is now an attorney in Oxford, Miss., claims that as he was pressing Etheridge to answer a question, the candidate grabbed him by the shoulders, and shook him and told him, “Son, you need to learn to respect your elders.”

Patrick Devlin, in Etheridge’s Washington office, asserted Friday that Leslie’s account was “in error,” but declined to make Etheridge available for an interview.

Dr. Ben Greene, who was principal of Pinecrest at the time, told The Pilot today that his recollection of the incident was a little different from Leslie’s.

“There were people gathered around (Etheridge),” Greene said. “I happened to walk by, and it caught my attention because I heard a student talking loudly. They were talking with Mr. Etheridge. I walked over and saw Mr. Etheridge have a hand out on the upper part of the student’s arm.

“The student was extremely close to him, I mean like six inches or so from him, and Mr. Etheridge had his hand on the student’s upper arm. I asked what was going on, and Mr. Etheridge said everything was OK, and they parted ways. I didn’t see any shaking or grabbing.”

Leslie e-mailed The Pilot June 14 about his encounter with Etheridge after a video surfaced on the Internet showing a confrontation between Etheridge and a young man claiming to be college student. The video shows an agitated Etheridge grabbing and holding the unidentified man by the wrist, neck and shoulders after he approached Etheridge with a video camera and asked him if he “fully supported” President Obama’s agenda

Contact David Sinclair by e-mail at dsinclair@thepilot.com.

More like this story

RD28327 2 years, 11 months ago

Dang if that ol' hillbilly Etheridge is telling lies once again!

jorae 2 years, 11 months ago

Lesson in SPIN.... Seems an old student talked to Etheridge 14 years ago and contracted The Pilot....

Former Resident Recalls Run-In With Etheridge.. By John Krahnert III - Friday, June 18, 2010 7:42 a.m first post The former student, Brandon Leslie emailed The Pilot... http://www.thepilot.com/news/2010/jun...

THE HILL.com site prints what the Hight School Principle at the time, Mr. Bed Greene said about the encounter... Principal disputes former student's allegation of run-in with Etheridge . By Michael O'Brien - 06/18/10 03:28 PM ET

"The story in today’s Pilot is inaccurate," Greene said in a statement released by Etheridge's office, referring to the paper that reported Leslie's allegation. "I witnessed the event firsthand 14 years ago. The student was in the wrong, and Bob Etheridge acted appropriately at all times." http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/104199-principal-disputes-former-students-allegation-of-run-in-with-etheridge

This is a retraction from The Pilot? It should have said, So, the Pilot starts a new thread to acknowledge the dispute, but SPINS it by not quoting the Principle, but by making it sound that Etheridge's office is making the claim, not the Principle..

Etheridge's Office Disputes Claim By David Sinclair - Friday, June 18, 2010 4:28 p.m first post

Dr. Ben Greene, who was principal of Pinecrest at the time, told The Pilot today that his recollection of the incident was a little different from Leslie’s.(RECOLLECTION - INFERS DOUBT - where the Hill.com quotes him exactly.)

“There were people gathered around (Etheridge),” Greene said. “I happened to walk by, and it caught my attention because I heard a student talking loudly. I didn’t see any shaking or grabbing.”

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The title of the article is where this SPIN begins....There was not need to sight Etheridge office when they are quoting the former Principle....SPIN

intrepidreader 2 years, 11 months ago

Funny that this is the story that shows up on the front page of the online Pilot, while the article about the ex-student's recollection of the event is buried somewhere off to the side of the opinion page. I suppose it's not important, as conservative websites all over the internet have picked up John Krahnert's piece and given it very wide exposure.

In any case, I give little credence to Greene's account. First, he says he didn't see any grabbing or shaking, but he does admit he saw Etheridge had a grip on the boy. It astonishes me that, as principal of Pinecrest, he saw a non-parental adult put hands on one of his students and didn't demand to know exactly what was going on. He allowed Etheridge to wave him away, undoubtedly because he was acquainted with Etheridge and he didn't want to risk angering his congressman.

I wonder if Etheridge was drunk that day, too.