A convicted felon was hired by the budget airline JetBlue in July, according to a report in The Daily Wire.
The report cited a screen capture of a corporate web page that identified John Perrys as a pilot trainee and a “Crewmember since July 20, 2022.” The report added another photo showed Perrys beneath a JetBlue banner with the caption, “Congratulations Class 34-22.” The outlet said Class 34-22 referred to his JetBlue training, adding Perrys did not respond to their request for comment.
Perrys served nine years in prison for an armed burglary of a judge’s home he committed in April 2005, according to publicly available court records. He was further convicted of aggravated battery with the intent to cause harm during the burglary for reportedly attacking the judge’s daughter as she exited the shower.
The Florida convict was released from prison in early January 2014 to serve 30 years of supervised release. His felony probation lasts until at least 2044.
One pilot cited as a source in The Daily Wire report said the airline was training Perrys to fly the Airbus A320. The source reportedly added, “several instructors have refused to train him. Many captains have told management they’ll refuse to fly with him.”
Another pilot sourced in the report said Perrys is “on the line as a flying pilot in control of a plane with up to two hundred paying and oblivious souls on board.”
Perrys was a captain in the Air Force who flew B-52s out of Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana, before his arrest, according to an Associated Press report.
Investigators at the time said Perrys forced his way into Judge Fred Witten’s home and attacked Carolyn Lister, his former fiancée. Lister reportedly testified at a hearing that she was beaten with a metal baton as she stepped from the shower.
“Apparently JetBlue won’t hire unvaccinated pilots, but they will hire violent convicted felons to fly their airplanes,” said one pilot granted anonymity by The Daily Wire to protect his job.
“Every decision JetBlue has made throughout the pandemic has been with our safety value front and center,” a notice to Jet Blue applicants states on the airline’s website. “Whether it’s requiring masks, or many of the other health and safety protocols we’ve had to navigate during the pandemic, all of these efforts have been focused on making the workplace and air travel safer for you and our Customers.”
“As part of our commitment to health and safety, COVID-19 vaccines are required for all JetBlue employees,” the notice continued. “New hire employees must be fully vaccinated prior to the start of training.”
The airline ordered all pilots to become vaccinated against COVID-19 in November 2021, citing a Biden administration order to federal contractors.
The order was first delayed then put on hold when a judge issued an injunction against the OSHA rule. After the injunction was lifted the administration announced it would not enforce the order.
Scroll down to leave a comment and share your thoughts.