Almost all of America is rallying around Steven Slater, the former flight attendant who ended a 20-year career in the business by telling off a passenger and emergency sliding off a plane.
A Facebook group already has over 15,000 supporters signed up to defend Slater, while 97% of THG readers polled would give him a key to New York City.
However, JetBlue is not among those rushing to the defense of their ex-employee. Far from it, in fact.
According to an internal memo uncovered by TMZ, the airline is peeved at Slater. Immediately prior to Steve's outburst, the memo confirms his plane was parked and attached to the gate; passengers were in the process of exiting when "...the forward service door was purposely re-armed and the slide intentionally deployed, endangering lives and equipment."
Also included in the document, which was sent by Vicky Stennes, VP of Inflight Experience:
"Some media outlets are portraying yesterday's event as a humorous example of what individuals may consider doing at a point in their careers -- walking off the job in a very public fashion. However ... deploying a slide is a forceful event and yesterday's deployment endangered, and could have severely injured or even killed."
In court yesterday, Slater pleaded not guilty to multiple charges. He faces seven years in prison if convicted on them all.
Does that seem like a fair punishment? Make your voice heard below: What should happen to Steve Slater?