A teen was dismissed from a U.S. Ski Team on Friday after news reports emerged he urinated on a young girl during a JetBlue flight from Oregon to New York.
Robert “Sandy” Vietze, 18, was arrested by police at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on early Wednesday morning after an overnight flight from Portland in Oregon. He allegedly stood up during the flight and urinated on an 11-year-old girl while her father – a Stage 4 cancer patient – was in the lavatory himself.
News reports said Vietze was drunk when the incident happened, but it was not immediately clear if he had been given alcohol by JetBlue or if he was already drunk when he boarded the flight. The legal drinking age in the United States is 21.
Doug Haney, the chief press officer for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA), said Vietze was previously nominated to the U.S. Development Alpine Ski Team for the 2011-12 season. He has now been dismissed from the team.
“Based on the information we have, Sandy Vietze is in violation of the USSA code of conduct and team agreement, and has been dismissed from the team,” said USSA Executive Vice President of Athletics Luke Bodensteiner.
Vietze is also facing misdemeanor charges of indecent exposure, which could result in a fine and up to one year in jail if convicted.