A Trump-supporting airline passenger has been charged with multiple hate crimes for allegedly kicking and harassing a hijab-wearing Delta airport worker at JFK airport.
According to a press release from the Queens County District Attorney’s office, Massachusetts man Robin A. Rhodes, 57, was waiting for a connecting flight on Wednesday evening when he approached Rabeeya Khan at her office the Delta Air Lines Sky Club lounge and allegedly said, “Are you [expletive deleted] sleeping? Are you praying? What are you doing?”
He then allegedly punched the door, which hit her chair, and when she asked what she’d done wrong, he said, “You did nothing but I am going to kick your [expletive deleted] ass.”
Rhodes then allegedly kicked her in the leg. Someone tried to intervene, according to the release, after which Khan fled from her office to the front desk of the lounge. He allegedly followed her and attempted to intimidate her by mimicking Muslim prayer, going on his knees, and shouting, “[Expletive deleted] Islam, [Expletive deleted] ISIS, Trump is here now. He will get rid of all of you. You can ask Germany, Belgium and France about these kind of people. You will see what happens.”
Rhodes has been charged with “third-degree assault as a hate crime, second-degree unlawful imprisonment as a hate crime, third-degree menacing as a hate crime, first-degree harassment as a hate crime, third-degree assault, second-degree unlawful imprisonment, second-degree aggravated harassment, menacing and first-degree harassment.” If convicted, he faces up to four years in prison (which, by the way, is much less than what six journalists are facing for covering Inauguration Day protests). He is currently waiting arraignment in court.
