A security guard for the Winder office of the Social Security Administration turned himself in to Winder Police on assault charges Wednesday after he had an altercation with a blind woman at the agency’s office.
Guard LeRoy Huff, Athens, admitted grabbing the arm of Winder resident Melissa McMann to force her out of the SS building because she had a seeing-eye dog.
McMann, 38, said in a phone interview Wednesday she was led by her dog, Hurbie, into the Social Security office in Winder Thursday, Sept. 15, along with her husband.
Hurbie wears a harness that goes over his shoulders and under his chin, and a sign that reads: “Ignore me, I’m a working guide dog.”
“Everything from his collar to his harness to even his leash is special working equipment,” said McMann.
Nevertheless, Huff demanded to see paperwork verifying its use as a guide dog.
McMann said her husband spoke up and said, “It’s my wife’s guide dog. She’s blind.”
The McManns attempted to explain the law, even as going so far as to try to show the guard the state of Georgia access code on service dogs on their personal iPhones, but Huff apparently refused to reason.
But the officer said he wasn’t going to be “fooled” by “any old dog” and we were told we had to leave, said McMann.
Huff, believing she was disobeying his order to leave, then “grabbed her by her arm and pulled her up by the chair she was sitting in and pretty much pushed her out the door,” said WPD officer Chris Cooper.
The woman’s husband, Chris McMann, then called the police for help.
For the full story, see the Sept. 21 issue of the Barrow Journal in print or online.
I was recently at a federal building where they had metal detectors and ques set uip to funnel a large number of people through.And they all just had this attitude about them, in the way they spoke to people and they themselves waked around with their chests poked out. It was kind of like being back in high school around certain upperclassmen.
Well enough of that, they work for the people , they need to treat others the way they would want to be treated.Americans are not cattle or sheep just to be herded around and told what to do by someone who obviously has less intelligence and sense.
Where Govt employees look down on the people there for making them do work.
NOT all unemployment office people but certainly some, so dont go saying I am against Dept of Labor people but some cant even read what job requires or understand the difference between requirment and prefenence
I think the security guard was wrong for ever touching her, he should have called the police himself if the lady was non compliant, but then he'd be facing a harassment suit. Curious to know why the lady didnt have papers and her husband was right there and allowed anyone to grab his wife. Only in Winder.
Service animals are animals that are individually trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities such as guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling wheelchairs, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, or performing other special tasks. Service animals are working animals, not pets.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), businesses and organizations that serve the public must allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals into all areas of the facility where customers are normally allowed to go. This federal law applies to all businesses open to the public, including restaurants, hotels, taxis and shuttles, grocery and department stores, hospitals and medical offices, theaters, health clubs, parks, and zoos.
Hope this helps and clears things up, just in case you needed to know. Everyone should help our local disabled population even if you may stand alone.
LOL!!
What a JOKE this county is.