Security Guards fired for taking pictures against company policy

Two security guards at a Texas stadium have reportedly been fired for taking a picture with Tom Brady, quarterback of the New England Patriots, shortly after the team beat the hometown Houston Texans 34 to 31.

Joel Williams and Christopher Moore were both employed at Reliant Stadium in Houston by Contemporary Services Corporation, which calls itself the “leader in crowd management.” Just as they were punching out for the day, they ran into Brady, whom Williams described as a “very polite, very nice guy.”

“I said, ‘Hey Tom Brady good game, it was excellent,’ ” Williams said. “You’re my favorite quarterback and all that good stuff. And he said, ‘Why thank you.’ ”

CSC has policy against employees taking pictures or asking for autographs of players

Then both Williams and Moore asked Brady if he would pose for pictures with the two of them. Brady obliged, but CSC supervisors were less happy. In a statement provided by CSC, the company stadium apparently had policy that prohibits personnel from requesting photographs or pictures:

“It is strictly against CSC policy for its employees to request photos or autographs from players. CSC stands by its decision to terminate the two employees who violated this policy.”

Some athletes and celebrities dislike talking with people after a game or performance. Managers may have been concerned that CSC’s relationship with Reliant could face damage if the stadium received complaints from people about being approached.

Williams is a part-time guard and a graduate student in public administration at Texas South University. He says he understands the underlying concept. “When you’re at your post and you’re doing your job, you’re not supposed to take any pictures with anybody because your job is to secure the area. What happened was I was already relieved of my duty and that’s when I chose to take the picture.” He also said he had never been reprimanded by his employers before.

“There have been times before when I had taken pictures with other people that weren’t Tom Brady and weren’t winners or people who had just defeated the Texans and it was perfectly OK,” Williams said.

Williams thinks that being fired may have been the result of three factors:

“I think it was three things: I think first of all, they were upset the Texans lost. I think second of all, because they lost in the fourth quarter. And then third of all, because it was Tom Brady,”

“What they say and what they practice are two different things,” said Moore. “What we see on a daily basis, whether it be Reliant or CSC employees, is them taking picture and asking for autographs from players.”