Arrested Pug Owner May Be Fired Over Alleged Anti-Semitism

Chrissie Brodigan argues with Officer Joel Witriol during her arrest for disorderly conduct after she was stopped for carrying her sick pug out of the subway station. (Jason Wagner)

After a witness told the NY Post that distraught pug owner Chrissie Brodigan shouted at NYC's first Hasidic cop, "You f---ing Jew, you're not even human," her employer suspended her without pay and may terminate her, pending an internal investigation. Brodigan, the VP for Online Media at Plum TV, tells us that after the Post's article appeared, Plum TV's CEO, Chris Glowacki, called her to say she was "lucky not to be fired immediately." (Several requests for comment from Glowacki have gone unanswered.)

Brodigan denies the allegation of antisemitism cited by the Post's witness and a second anonymous source, and says the article has made her life hell, with strangers gathering outside her apartment building to call her a bigot and, on one occasion, shout, "You deserve to die!" She is now contemplating suing the Post for slander, and tells us:

I believe that the Post fabricated their witness for salacious story-telling, I also believe that the NYPD could have planted her as a way to spin the story because I don't have a record and have never been in trouble with the law. In other words, the only way to discredit me would be to make something up... To be absolutely clear: Even in the heat of the moment I did not use anti-Semitic remarks against the officer. I did say things like "screw you" and was sarcastic in asking for the tickets so I could go home. I did not even say the words "Jewish" or "Jew" or utter a single ethnic slur. And, to be even more clear, those words and statements [alleged in the Post] have NEVER crossed my lips. Not that day. And, not any other day in my life. Ever.

The Post's article is credited to Reuven Fenton and Reuven Blau; the latter reporter has previously written about Hasidic cops, including Kalman Witriol, the brother of officer Joel Witriol, who arrested Brodigan and allegedly roughed her up while saying, "If you're going to act like a woman I'm going to treat you like a woman." Reached for comment, Fenton told us that Blau was the one who found the witness, Viane Delgado, who says she/he heard Brodigan's anti-Semitic remarks. Fenton says he doesn't know how Blau found Delgado—she is not quoted by any other news outlet and we haven't been able to find her. Blau has not responded to repeated requests for comment.

Brodigan's attorney, Jonathon D. Warner, tells us, "I'm a Jewish lawyer and I firmly believe she did not utter any anti-Semitic remarks, and I would not represent her if I thought otherwise." Brodigan says she'll find out today whether she's losing her job, and she's expected to appear in court on August 25th to face the disorderly conduct charge.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on July 7, 2009 10:55 AM

Comments [rss]

trustme

The woman is off the hook, I know her personally.

Read the comments from people that know her on the original NYP article, unstable, passive aggressive, attention seeker, bad employment history.

We all have issues, but what is boils down here is respect. Respect your animals, respect the law, respect others. It's not so hard, is it?

pudeljung

Is his name pronounced "Vitriol"?

And why does he look like the evil parking garage valet from Ferris Bueller's Day Off?

felixthecat2

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/07/08/2009-07-08_cop_in_dwi_trouble_nypd_mum_as_15yr_veteran_charged_with_mowing_down_e_side_pede.html

NYPD silent as 15-yr. veteran police sgt. charged with mowing down pedestrian while driving drunk

valeriob

no animals were hurt in the posting of your irrelevant link, right?

Manitoba

Despite agreeing that felix is a little absurd at times (okay, most of the time), I think the link is slightly relevant in regards to the NYPD going to extremes to protect their own. For the conspiracy theorists out there, this Brodigan story may feel like a a cover-up in some way... so, maybe the link is pertinent. Then again, who cares.

Dwayne Hoover

Viane Delgado is actually Patrick Pogan in drag!

tingo

So wait...let's break this down:

"Fucking" is not a slur. "Jew" is not a slur. "You're less than human" is an insult but not a slur. And so the adding of them together in context is a slur?

Well - if it was even said while she was being manhandled - couldn't any good lawyer argue that she intended to yell each as a separate statement?

No sides here. Just trying to determine the logic of how an assumed slur (from either side) determines the legal outcome of this debacle.

pointsguy

Pigs never falsify reports. ahem, critical-mass-tackling, ahem.

dadoc

Felix, let it rest a bit, you're getting looser than usual. Wait for the progress of the case, the sequence of legal procedure will follow. I'm sure we'll find updates here (grin, JDS, you shyte-stirring bugger!).

Nothing we say here matters, except to us.

As an aside: From my personal viewpoint, do we have a prisoner-exchange program with Utah? I think I'd prefer having the Hipster-Grifter back. Much more fun with the Asian, tattoo, sex and opportunism. Vote, everybody?

snickerdoodle

Free speech is dead in America. RIP.

felixthecat2

I am againt police brutality. Animal abuse and sexism. If the police falsified a witness then it is a serious matter. If the post invented a witness to villify her than it is libel. Not only can she lose her job but a nut can hurt her.

felixthecat2

I am againt police brutality. Animal abuse and sexism. If the police falsified a witness then it is a serious matter. If the post invented a witness to villify her than it is libel. Not only can she lose her job but a nut can hurt her.

Tower18

Fact: the only reason Felixthecat2 even cares about this is because a dog is tangentially involved. As such, he will vociferously defend the woman, regardless of what she may or may not have said.

Matt Joyce

Without the ethnic slurs in the police report to corroborate the Post reporting on the event, she can and should sue the post for slander.

felixthecat2

Per your logic then you must adhere to your employer's code of conduct afterhours? No way.My boss doesn't own me

felixthecat2

Per your logic then you must adhere to your employer's code of conduct afterhours? No way.My boss doesn't own me

felixthecat2

Per your logic then you must adhere to your employer's code of conduct afterhours? No way.My boss doesn't own me

felixthecat2

It is sad how people play the race card to justify their misdoings. This woman shouldn't have been arrested and shouldt lose her job over this. Not to mention harassed by people at her doorstep.

Manitoba

She actually should have been arrested for resisting the requests for identification from a police officer. All she had to do was shut up and comply with the requests, and she would now be at home tweeting away.

And, she should be fired, not for alleged racist remarks but for acting in an unprofessional manner and drawing undesired, negative attention to her employer.