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Michelle Gregg

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Oddity

The Resume

    Resides in Cincinnati, Ohio
    Mother of four
    Daycare administrator at a Cincinnati pre-school, Little Blossoms Academy
    4-year-old son, Isaiah, fell into a moat surrounding the gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo
    Zoo authorities made the decision to shoot Harambe, a Western lowland silverback gorilla, after it was determined that it was the only way to save her son’s life (May 28, 2016)
    Video of the encounter between her son and Harambe went viral, receiving over 8 million views on YouTube
    Found herself on the receiving end of widespread criticism following the shooting, with many critics characterizing her as neglectful and an irresponsible mother

Why she might be annoying:

    Her son was allegedly heard telling her that he wanted to jump into the gorilla enclave.
    Outrage over the incident led to the formation of the trending hashtag, #JusticeForHarambe.
    Another Ohio woman who shared her name became the target of internet harassment from animal rights activists.
    She was accused of trivializing the circumstances surrounding the shooting by writing ‘accidents happen’ in a (since deleted) Facebook post.
    In the same post, she addressed the backlash she was receiving by writing ‘as a society we are quick to judge how a parent could take their eyes off of their child,’ insisting she always keeps a tight watch on her kids.
    Sorry, but it’s a bit much to argue that a kid falling into a zoo’s gorilla pit isn’t a result of at least SOME failure of parental oversight...
    Petitions were circulated by several advocacy groups either calling for her to be 'held accountable' or to be investigated by CPS.
    Police launched a criminal investigation fn her and her husband, stating they could potentially face charges of criminal negligence.

Why she might not be annoying:

    She was on the receiving end of death threats and death wishes, with some activists calling for her to be shot.
    She reportedly turned away from her son for a minute to comfort her crying daughter, who didn't want to leave the zoo.
    Her 911 phone call shows her frantic and distressed, and can be heard repeatedly begging her son to 'keep calm.'
    She could be heard yelling ‘mommy is here!’ and 'Oh, God, please protect him!' in various bystander videos.
    Had the gorilla incident had been resolved differently, it is unlikely her parenting skills would ever have been debated over.
    Her son, who could have been killed, was released from a children’s hospital with serious (albeit not life threatening) injuries.
    She was defended by Cincinnati Zoo director, Thane Maynard, who said: 'Do you know any four-year-olds? They can climb over anything.'
    She and her son's father declined to accept gifts or donations, instead asking that donations be made to the Cincinnati Zoo in Harambe’s name.
    She probably didn't take her son literally when he said he wanted to jump into the Gorilla pit.
    Let s/he who is without flaw cast the first stone (any parent would admit that its difficult to keep an eye on multiple kids at all times).

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 14 Votes: 92.86% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 23 Votes: 60.87% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 188 Votes: 79.79% Annoying