"Kick Me" sign prank leads to criminal conviction

[Hum]

Harvey Palacio was at work at the Intel plant in Rio Rancho, New Mexico when he became the target of a classic prank, a ?Kick Me? sign on his back.

As reported by KRQE News 13, the prank led to Intel HR and police involvement in September 2012, followed by a federal lawsuit when Palacio claimed that coworkers kicked him after one placed the sign on his back.

When Palacio suspected something, he asked Randy Lehman, an Intel senior staffer if something was on his back.

According to the lawsuit, "Lehman said turn around and as Palacio did he saw and heard (another employee) yell out 'Don't read it, just do it'."

Court documents state that Lehman then kicked Palacio three times in the buttocks.

After that, another coworker, Chris Zeltinger, was asked to help remove the sign, but instead kicked Palacio twice.

The lawsuit stated that, "Palacio felt demoralized and assaulted and he began to cry during the drive home.

He could not tell his wife because he was so embarrassed and ashamed." Lehman and Zeltinger were eventually fired, convicted of petty misdemeanor battery and ordered to perform 16 hours of community service.

Lehman?s attorney, Diego Esquibel, apologized on his client?s behalf saying that he, ?Is truly sorry for any shame, sadness or pain the victim felt and his actions were never meant to cause any of those things." Zeltinger did not comment.

Palacio, a 19 year Intel employee, said that he faced abuse for months.

He claimed the coworker pranks included repeatedly filling his work bag with trash and hiding his clean room suit that he needed to complete his job.

The lawsuit against Intel claims that Palacio was the victim of a pattern of racially motivated bullying because he is Filipino, and the company allowed the harassment to go on causing emotional distress.

A spokesperson for Intel said that the company is reviewing the lawsuit and did not want to comment further.

source & video

[Sandor]

Most work places have pretty clear harassment policies that will lead to dismissal for this sort of thing. Not sure about the need for criminal convictions though.

[Arceles]

He.... probably had an AMD processor.... not too different to what you can see on internet.

[Hum]

I wouldn't think a big company like Intel would tolerate this childishness for 5 minutes.

[Noir Angel]

And so they should. Physical assaults and bullying should be a no tolerance issue in any workplace, it's not a joke and it isn't funny.

[Ph1b3r0pt1c]

I work for a multi-billion dollar company.

Someone does something stupid.

I cry and act all torn up.

Sue for $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Profit.

What a cry baby.

[Scroogled]

A "kick me" sign? Really? The guy who pinned the sign should have been fired on the spot for behavior that wouldn't have been tolerated in a middle school, let alone a company with $120 billion market cap.

[Anibal P]

I work for a multi-billion dollar company.

Someone does something stupid.

I cry and act all torn up.

Sue for $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Profit.

What a cry baby.

What's worse is he at first tolerated it, then cried about it once he lost control of the situation, someone tries a "prank" like that one me and we both get fired, me for decking the person, the prankster for assaulting me, would never go past the first incident

[Scroogled]

I work for a multi-billion dollar company.

Someone does something stupid.

I cry and act all torn up.

Sue for $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Profit.

What a cry baby.

Having allowed this case to go public shows a complete lack of judgment on Intel's part, and having hired childish morons that engaged in such antics in the first shows that there's a pattern in bad decision-making. Intel deserves whatever it sows. All the more power to the guy filing the suit. I hope Intel gets its ass kicked in court.

And this is coming from someone that buys Intel processors exclusively. I most certainly will consider AMD in the future.

[Scroogled]

What's worse is he at first tolerated it, then cried about it once he lost control of the situation, someone tries a "prank" like that one me and we both get fired, me for decking the person, the prankster for assaulting me, would never go past the first incident

Where are you getting this idea that he "tolerated it"?

[Growled Member]

Someone in management wasn't doing their job. We wouldn't have tolerated that for 30 seconds at my work place.

[AJerman]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA, are you kidding me? Suing because of a kick me sign? Please deposit your balls and pick up a vagina.

I'm not saying that management shouldn't have stopped it. It's all a bit childish for work, but really, does everything have to be a lawsuit these days?

[hamslammer]

What a crock!! This guy is a real sissy, he needs to grow a pair.

[threesixtyflip]

Hmmm, facepalm incoming.

Suing because of a kick me sign? Really?

Christ....

[Noir Angel]

I work for a multi-billion dollar company.

Someone does something stupid.

I cry and act all torn up.

Sue for $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Profit.

What a cry baby.

Yes how dare he. If everyone in the world just put up with bullying and physical abuse we'd be so much better off!

/s

[threesixtyflip]

Yes how dare he. If everyone in the world just put up with bullying and physical abuse we'd be so much better off!

/s

There's a difference between "bullying" and getting a kick me sign put on your back.

[GreenMartian]

Jeez, people. He's been bullied for MONTHS. He could either lash out (and gets himself fired), simply quit, or sue and get some big $$ and hopefully result in Intel learning something out of it.

I know which one I would pick...

[limok]

Hope he gets a nice settlement, never should've tolerated it in the first place though.

[Jaybot]

criminal conviction? wow. that is just stupid. let their human resources department deal with it and terminate them (which they did)

this is just so stupid.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

Hmmm, facepalm incoming.

Suing because of a kick me sign? Really?

Christ....

welcome to America, where we sue first and ask questions later :/

Jeez, people. He's been bullied for MONTHS. He could either lash out (and gets himself fired), simply quit, or sue and get some big $$ and hopefully result in Intel learning something out of it.

I know which one I would pick...

or he could have done the correct thing and gone to his boss right away. and if his boss doesn't listen then you go to the person above him and they both get in trouble. pretty standard procedure honestly

[Conjor]

For those who don't quite understand the law, he has been harassed and physically assaulted in the workplace. I beg of you, educate yourselves on the consequences of such actions before commenting on how "childish" it all is. Assuming this has been going on for several weeks, there will be several counts of each.

I say again, he has been harassed and physically assaulted. Try walking into a law firm and putting a "Kick Me" sign on the back of a lawyer and then proceed to kick him. Go on, do it. I'll wait.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

For those who don't quite understand the law, he has been harassed and physically assaulted in the workplace. I beg of you, educate yourselves on the consequences of such actions before commenting on how "childish" it all is. Assuming this has been going on for several weeks, there will be several counts of each.

I say again, he has been harassed and physically assaulted. Try walking into a law firm and putting a "Kick Me" sign on the back of a lawyer and then proceed to kick him. Go on, do it. I'll wait.

and he did nothing about it and just put up with it. if he really wanted it to stop he could have gone to his boss, or his boss' boss or even higher if he had to

i see no where in the article where it says he tried to go to his boss about it

[techbeck]

People just cannot take a joke any more. If he would of just laughed it off to begin with, probably wouldn't of continued.

[Ph1b3r0pt1c]

Yes how dare he. If everyone in the world just put up with bullying and physical abuse we'd be so much better off!

/s

I know right. I am glad you agree with me.

[Jojo81]

There's a difference between "bullying" and getting a kick me sign put on your back.

Yes but in this case it seems there was a lot more going on before the sign incident.