Paintballer Kicked Off Team After Mocking Hospitalized Teen COVID Patient
KICKED OUT
Jessica Maiolo got the boot from her professional paintballing team Monday after posting a TikTok making fun of a teenager with COVID-19. In the since deleted video, Maiolo commented on a mother whose son was in the hospital for 10 days after being infected with the virus, The woman said she should have gotten him vaccinated sooner. “Ma’am, your kid does not need a COVID shot,” Maiolo said. “Your kid needs a fucking treadmill. That’s what he needs.” Not surprisingly, she was called out online, with users reporting her words to Team USA Paintball, which is not affiliated with the Olympics. Maiolo was cut from the team after an investigation. “Our investigation into the troubling conduct of Ms. Maiolo has been concluded and we have decided to remove her from the team indefinitely,” the team said in a statement via Instagram. Maiolo released her own statement, saying she never meant to “shame any individual.” Her social media now appears to be deactivated.