FARGO -- An intoxicated Cass County Administrator Keith Berndt was asked to leave a United Airlines flight prior to takeoff in August because a flight attendendant believed his behavior posed a possible threat to others on the plane, according to a report released by county officials on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
The Cass County Sheriff’s Office produced the report at the request of County Commission Chairwoman Mary Scherling. She asked the sheriff’s office to look into a business trip Berndt took to Chicago in August.
An incident during that trip was apparently one of the factors that led commissioners to vote 4-1 Monday night, Nov. 7, to begin termination proceedings against Berndt, who was suspended with pay while the process plays out.
The report released Tuesday states that Berndt boarded a United Airlines flight on Aug. 18 to travel from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport to Fargo when he became involved in a confrontation with a flight attendant before takeoff.
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Berndt has five days to respond in writing to the board’s decision and request a hearing, according to Cass County State’s Attorney Birch Burdick.
