Robin Rhodes, 57, who was returning in January from a trip to Aruba, was indicted Thursday on charges of unlawful imprisonment and aggravated harassment in the incident. He also faces hate crime charges.
According to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, Rhodes was waiting for a connecting flight to Worcester, Massachusetts, when he entered the Delta Sky Lounge at JFK. He came up to the office of the employee, who has not been identified, and said, “Are you [expletive deleted] sleeping? Are you praying? What are you doing?”
According to the criminal complaint, Rhodes punched the door, which hit the back of the employee’s chair. The employee asked
Rhodes what she had done to him and he replied, “You did nothing but I am going to kick your [expletive deleted] ***,” the complaint said.
Rhodes then kicked the employee in the leg, according to the complaint.
Brown said the employee attempted to get away, but Rhodes persisted, kicking the door and stepping into her office and blocking her from escaping.
Another person, also not identified, tried to calm Rhodes and moved him away from the door. The employee ran out of the office to the lounge’s front desk.
Rhodes allegedly followed the employee, at one point getting down on his knees, bowing down in imitation of a Muslim praying.
He shouted, “[Expletive] Islam, [expletive] 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.”
Man Charged With Kicking, Yelling Racist Comments at Muslim Delta Employee at JFK | KTLA