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American Morning

Mix-Up or Bias?

Aired December 12, 2003 - 07:44   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: A week ago today, Baltimore Hyatt waiter Mohamad Pharoan was sent home from work. He was supposed to help serve lunch at a fund raiser for the president there, but the Secret Service says it told Pharoan to leave because of confusion over a work schedule. It says it was not discriminating against the Syrian-born Pharoan, an Arab-American and a Muslim. But Pharoan is not accepting so far that explanation or the apology apparently.
Mohamad Pharoan and his wife, Susan, are with us this morning in Baltimore to tell us their story.

Good morning to both of you. Thank you for joining us today.

MOHAMAD I, PHAROAN, BANISHED WAITER: Good morning, sir.

HEMMER: Mohamed, was your name on that list?

M. PHAROAN: Yes, sir, it was on the list.

HEMMER: And you can prove that?

M. PHAROAN: Sure.

HEMMER: Why would the Secret Service not see it that way?

M. PHAROAN: I'm not sure. I think somebody did a mistake or a personal decision to send me home from the Secret Service, but definitely my name was cleared to work that day.

HEMMER: Were you the only one sent home, Mohamad, or were others?

M. PHAROAN: Yes, sir, I was the only one.

HEMMER: Out of how many employees would you say?

M. PHAROAN: How many employees. I mean, around 100 that day or more.

HEMMER: What did they tell you?

M. PHAROAN: Nobody gave me any explanation except my manager. He asked me a question, "Is your name Mohamad?" And he knew my name, so that gave me why they are sending me home.

HEMMER: Yes. So, if you are saying that your name was on the list and the Secret Service apparently did not see it that way a week ago today, what do you think the reason was?

M. PHAROAN: I still insist that why I was sent home was my either religion or my name, because they didn't want me to be there because probably they thought it was more convenient for them not to be working at that function.

HEMMER: Are you suggesting racism? What are you saying in your answer?

M. PHAROAN: I think there is some mistake. I wouldn't say -- I think somebody did a personal decision.

HEMMER: Well, the Secret Service contacted AMERICAN MORNING after we contacted them first. Here's the statement they gave us for our program: "The Secret Service has apologized to Mr. Pharoan for any embarrassment or inconvenience caused last Friday when he was asked to leave the hotel. We also assured Mr. Pharoan that his exclusion was in no way related to his ethnic and religious background." That's from John Gill, Office of Public Affairs for the Secret Service.

Does that help you? The word "apology" is in there.

P. PHAROAN: Excuse me?

HEMMER: The word "apology" is in that statement. Does that help you? How does that hit you?

P. PHAROAN: I was so glad to have this apology from Mr. John Gill, and I appreciated it.

HEMMER: Yes. I want to ask your wife, if I could quickly. Do you think it was just a mistake, Susan?

SUSAN PHAROAN, WIFE OF MOHAMAD PHAROAN: I think somebody made a mistake, because of the way that the question was asked of his name. We took it as something more discriminatory. And I think that people are straightening it out. I think that they realize it was a mistake. It certainly wasn't an issue about the schedule, because he was working that day and it was well-known.

HEMMER: Yes. I think you've been there about seven years, right, Mohamad? Are you going back and continuing?

M. PHAROAN: Yes, sir. I am there right now. I mean, I worked yesterday.

HEMMER: Keep it up. Thanks for talking today. Mohamad and Susan Pharoan there...

M. PHAROAN: Thank you, sir.

S. PHAROAN: Thank you.

HEMMER: ... in Baltimore.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.







Aired December 12, 2003 - 07:44   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: A week ago today, Baltimore Hyatt waiter Mohamad Pharoan was sent home from work. He was supposed to help serve lunch at a fund raiser for the president there, but the Secret Service says it told Pharoan to leave because of confusion over a work schedule. It says it was not discriminating against the Syrian-born Pharoan, an Arab-American and a Muslim. But Pharoan is not accepting so far that explanation or the apology apparently.
Mohamad Pharoan and his wife, Susan, are with us this morning in Baltimore to tell us their story.

Good morning to both of you. Thank you for joining us today.

MOHAMAD I, PHAROAN, BANISHED WAITER: Good morning, sir.

HEMMER: Mohamed, was your name on that list?

M. PHAROAN: Yes, sir, it was on the list.

HEMMER: And you can prove that?

M. PHAROAN: Sure.

HEMMER: Why would the Secret Service not see it that way?

M. PHAROAN: I'm not sure. I think somebody did a mistake or a personal decision to send me home from the Secret Service, but definitely my name was cleared to work that day.

HEMMER: Were you the only one sent home, Mohamad, or were others?

M. PHAROAN: Yes, sir, I was the only one.

HEMMER: Out of how many employees would you say?

M. PHAROAN: How many employees. I mean, around 100 that day or more.

HEMMER: What did they tell you?

M. PHAROAN: Nobody gave me any explanation except my manager. He asked me a question, "Is your name Mohamad?" And he knew my name, so that gave me why they are sending me home.

HEMMER: Yes. So, if you are saying that your name was on the list and the Secret Service apparently did not see it that way a week ago today, what do you think the reason was?

M. PHAROAN: I still insist that why I was sent home was my either religion or my name, because they didn't want me to be there because probably they thought it was more convenient for them not to be working at that function.

HEMMER: Are you suggesting racism? What are you saying in your answer?

M. PHAROAN: I think there is some mistake. I wouldn't say -- I think somebody did a personal decision.

HEMMER: Well, the Secret Service contacted AMERICAN MORNING after we contacted them first. Here's the statement they gave us for our program: "The Secret Service has apologized to Mr. Pharoan for any embarrassment or inconvenience caused last Friday when he was asked to leave the hotel. We also assured Mr. Pharoan that his exclusion was in no way related to his ethnic and religious background." That's from John Gill, Office of Public Affairs for the Secret Service.

Does that help you? The word "apology" is in there.

P. PHAROAN: Excuse me?

HEMMER: The word "apology" is in that statement. Does that help you? How does that hit you?

P. PHAROAN: I was so glad to have this apology from Mr. John Gill, and I appreciated it.

HEMMER: Yes. I want to ask your wife, if I could quickly. Do you think it was just a mistake, Susan?

SUSAN PHAROAN, WIFE OF MOHAMAD PHAROAN: I think somebody made a mistake, because of the way that the question was asked of his name. We took it as something more discriminatory. And I think that people are straightening it out. I think that they realize it was a mistake. It certainly wasn't an issue about the schedule, because he was working that day and it was well-known.

HEMMER: Yes. I think you've been there about seven years, right, Mohamad? Are you going back and continuing?

M. PHAROAN: Yes, sir. I am there right now. I mean, I worked yesterday.

HEMMER: Keep it up. Thanks for talking today. Mohamad and Susan Pharoan there...

M. PHAROAN: Thank you, sir.

S. PHAROAN: Thank you.

HEMMER: ... in Baltimore.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.