Pa pilot says he's on watch list, sues to save job

syscom3 · 08-21-2008, 02:23 AM

Quote:

I have to agree with this guy. I am getting tired of the lame excuses by the govt on why people are on these lists. We are a democracy and this secrecy has gone to far. The republic has survived far more serious threats to our security, and exposing some "so called" national security secrets wont hurt us one bit. Just like the Pentagon Papers from 1971 didn't harm us in the least.

Pa pilot says he's on watch list, sues to save job - Yahoo! News

By PETER JACKSON, Associated Press Writer Wed Aug 20, 4:46 AM ET

HARRISBURG, Pa. - A commercial airline pilot and convert to Islam who says his name is on the U.S. government's secret terrorist watch list has fought back, filing a federal lawsuit against the Homeland Security Department and various other federal agencies.
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Erich Scherfen says unless his name is removed from the list, he faces losing not only his job but the ability to make a living in his chosen profession.

"My livelihood depends on being off this list," Scherfen told reporters Tuesday after his lawyers filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Harrisburg.

He alleges that the government's actions have violated his and his wife's constitutional rights. The suit seeks a hearing and a decision before he is scheduled to lose his job on Sept. 1.

A New Jersey native, Scherfen, 37, said he believes his name was placed on a watch list because he converted to Islam in 1994 — even though he is a Gulf War combat veteran. Both he and his Pakistan-born wife, who is also a Muslim, said they have no criminal records or ties to terrorists.

In their lawsuit, the couple said they have been repeatedly subjected to searches, questioning and detention at airports and border crossings since 2006. Ticket agents and others have made vague references to their names being on lists, but there was no clear explanation for the extra scrutiny.

Scherfen said he learned that he was a "positive match" on a list maintained by the Transportation Security Administration in April, when his employer, Colgan Air Inc., suspended him for that reason. The Virginia-based regional carrier continued to pay him for the first two weeks of his suspension, but he is currently on unpaid leave and expects to lose his job if his name is not taken off the list by the end of this month.

Scherfen had worked for the airline for about a year when he was suspended, a Colgan spokesman confirmed.

The couple said their attempts to resolve the situation through the government have been unsuccessful.

Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Ann Davis said the TSA gets watch lists from the FBI and requires airlines to cross-check the lists before issuing passengers boarding passes.

While declining comment on the lawsuit, Davis said "religious and political affiliation does not impact whether an individual is placed" on a list.

The Justice Department declined comment on the lawsuit and said in a statement that the FBI's Terrorist Screening Center, "for both national security and personal privacy reasons," does not confirm or deny the existence of any name on the watch lists that it maintains.

"We have a problem when a law-abiding combat veteran is about to lose his job because the government has placed him on a terrorist watch list, but refuses to tell him why," said Harrisburg lawyer Amy C. Foerster, who is working with the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union on the case.

Njaco · 08-21-2008, 09:14 AM

If this is true and the ONLY reason for his firing was the watch-list, I would say the ACLU finally found itself useful. But why is he on the list? Has to be more here.

ccheese · 08-21-2008, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Njaco

If this is true and the ONLY reason for his firing was the watch-list, I would say the ACLU finally found itself useful. But why is he on the list? Has to be more here.

I agree.... there's something that's not being told...

Charles

syscom3 · 08-21-2008, 11:24 AM

The problem is his name is simlar to a known terrorist that is on the list.

Theres even a three year old that has the same problem.

The issue is the govt process in itself. Once you are on the list, theres no way for you to get off of it. I find it incredulous that the FBI and their minnions dont have a simple process in place to handle problems like this . Someone who's name is similar to a known terorist, who obviously isnt that person.

And there isnt "anything more" that isnt being told.

If there is a reason for him to be on the list, they tell that person why. We all know the govt has 100% accurate intelligence, all of the time (sarcasm intended).