Phoenix Jones Loses Job, Barred From Working With Children
Seattle’s most famous masked crusader, Phoenix Jones, is now an unemployed superhero after he was let go from his job teaching life skills to autistic kids, and told by the state that he is no longer allowed to work with vulnerable children or adults following his arrest last month, PubliCola has learned.
“I had to leave work in the middle of the day,” Jones says. “It was embarrassing.”
Jones explained that he has worked with five developmentally disabled autistic children—who ranged in age from four to 18 years old—for the last five years at their homes and state care facilities, going shopping with them, teaching them to balance checkbooks, and going for walks.
Jones’ latest troubles come weeks after he was arrested by Seattle police for allegedly pepper spraying a group of men and women near Pioneer Square. Jones claims he was breaking up a fight, but police arrested him for assault. Following a court appearance in the case, Jones revealed his secret identity as 23-year-old mixed martial arts fighter Ben Fodor.
Prosecutors have not filed charges for the incident, and a spokeswoman for the city attorney’s office says the case is still being investigated.
Last week, Jones received a letter from the state Department of Social and Health Services, informing him he is no longer allowed to work with kids. PubliCola was not able to determine exactly why DSHS disqualified Jones from working with kids, but it appears to be due to his pending assault case.
When contacted for a comment, Jones said he had been advised not to speak extensively about the circumstances of his apparent termination, but confirmed he was no longer able to work with autistic children.
“They all knew I was Phoenix Jones,” he says.
Jones says that because of his arrest, he’s on “a list” that prohibits him from working with children, because he has “a history of interjecting myself into situations that are dangerous.”
Jones, naturally, disputes that characterization. “I would say I have a history of fighting crime,” he says. “The whole point of what I do is to keep people safe.”
Jones isn’t sure how he’ll pay the bills now. He says he’s received offers for fight bouts from the Strikeforce mixed martial arts organization, and plans to start fighting crime in the daytime, in addition to his night patrols around Seattle. Other than that, he says, “I really don’t know.”
Shameless Screen Grab courtesy of Publicola
Superheroes, take note: Violent weirdos who go out and assault people for pretend batman adventures (those that you don't make up - New York Initiative) will find the Real World is not so indulgent to your comic book fantasies.
And this begs the larger question; Is Phoenix Jones's own child endangered? Because Criminals who he helps arrest, now know his name - because again, he was arrested (but not convicted) for assaulting innocent citizens. Will these criminals come after Jones - while his wife and child are near him? One can understand why coworkers wouldn't want to be near him (surely part of the reason he was fired, along with an over riding concern for the safety of innocent children) - in case someone came after him when he was surrounded by children at work. But what of his family? Are they safe? Can anyone afford to take that chance, with innocent lives at stake?
And here's the point. Phoenix Jones, and all his advisers, and all the other superheroes know all of this. They've always known all of this. They've been playing batman living in their fantasies "drinking the Kool-aid", so long they've neglected to listen to people shouting at them that they are unhealthy and dangerous.
People like Villains.
All Phoenix Jones has to do to protect his family, is quit doing anything that jeopardizes their safety. You wouldn't invite a scumbag into your house, right? Then why would you antagonize citizens - some arguably going to jail/prison because of your self aggrandizing arrests? And it's not like a Cop performing their duty when he/she stops a crime and arrests a suspect. It happens, it's just business, nothing personal. But Jones goes out and looks for trouble for his own kicks. He makes it personal. He admitted on Heroes in the Night, that he will provoke a confrontation, to setup the situation he needs to make his citizens arrest. To someone facing loss of money and/or prison time, and the subsequent damage to their future opportunities, this would certainly be motive for any unsavory actions.
Who pays for his medical bills? The state? His employer? His PR team? Surgery would be catastrophically damaging to a person's financing, easily interrupting the college trust fund they might be keeping for their child. What if Jones is killed in self defense as he assaults someone who just happened to be carrying a gun? Or he's shivved in the shower in Prison for one of his mistakes? Who will take care of his family then?
Phoenix Jones, be a Hero. Be a Real Hero. Put away the playtime batman costume, and be a hero to your family. Be an adult provider and put taking care of your loved ones as your priority.
-Lord Malignance
UPDATED 11/03/11 1557 MST:
One is Fiendish for being as fair and accurate as One can be. It's more Evil to be correct, than to be a notorious liar, or clumsy with details. SO, with that in Mind, One went to research the line of text in my text above "He makes it personal. He admitted on Heroes in the Night, that he will provoke a confrontation, to setup the situation he needs to make his citizens arrest." and returned to Heroes in the Night to Find the exact passage. One can't find it? (Ongoing). The Links concerning Phoenix at his onset are the following;
UPDATED 11/03/11 1557 MST:
One is Fiendish for being as fair and accurate as One can be. It's more Evil to be correct, than to be a notorious liar, or clumsy with details. SO, with that in Mind, One went to research the line of text in my text above "He makes it personal. He admitted on Heroes in the Night, that he will provoke a confrontation, to setup the situation he needs to make his citizens arrest." and returned to Heroes in the Night to Find the exact passage. One can't find it? (Ongoing). The Links concerning Phoenix at his onset are the following;
PHOENIX JONES ARTICLE SOON
My statement appears to in fact come from this report on Heroes in the Night;
but it is a quote from the Seattle Weekly article "The (Alleged) Adventures of Phoenix Jones." w/text;
After getting a description of the alleged attacker, Jones heads back to the corner where the fight occurred. His plan, he says, is to wield "the Phoenix Cam" — a silver Flip pocket camcorder—and confront the assailant, provoking another altercation.
"I'm going to have to take a hit for the team," he says. "I'll get the guy to punch me in the face and we can press assault charges."
"Are you aware of the concept of blocking?" asks Ghost.
"Yeah," says Jones. "But then it's not assault, it's only attempted assault."
"I'm going to have to take a hit for the team," he says. "I'll get the guy to punch me in the face and we can press assault charges."
"Are you aware of the concept of blocking?" asks Ghost.
"Yeah," says Jones. "But then it's not assault, it's only attempted assault."
It would have been incorrect of One to say that it was reported by Mr. Krulos, author of "Heroes in the Night" strictly, and One corrects that oversight now.
-Lord Malignance
"Phoenix Jones, be a Hero. Be a Real Hero. Put away the playtime batman costume, and be a hero to your family. Be an adult provider and put taking care of your loved ones as your priority."
ReplyDelete^^Can't be said enough.
Thank you. One feels the safety of children should always be a priority. And Jones CAN be a hero now, and do what is best for his family.
ReplyDeleteOne wishes him every success, fulfillment, and happiness in his life, if he should choose the more heroic role of Father, Husband, and Provider. It's not as easy as playing vigilante batman, but the rewards are even greater.
-Lord Malignance