Amateur interpreter uses ‘pizza’, ‘monster’, ‘bear’ in sign language during Irma briefing, triggers row

An American county’s last-minute decision to rope in an amateur interpreter for a press briefing on Hurricane Irma has triggered a controversy after experts said the lifeguard signed words such as “pizza”, “monster” and “bear”.

Manatee County leaders asked Marshall Greene to pitch in shortly before they were to address the public with “crucial” information, New York Post said in a report.

Greene, who uses the sign language to communicate with his brother, signed words unrelated to what the speaker was saying at the news conference, it said.

Hurricane Irma, which ranked as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record before striking the US mainland as a Category 4 hurricane on September 10, killed at least 84 people. Several hard-hit Caribbean islands, including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, suffered more than half the fatalities.

Greene’s family told a news station, WFLA, he was doing what the county asked for. “He can’t be expected to communicate something he doesn’t know,” his father said.

Experts and activists have demanded an apology over Florida officials’ decision to use the amateur interpreter.

Wow, sorry deaf people https://t.co/1dbhrvdaq8

— BenJamin (@JABlongSKI) September 11, 2017

This is not an interpreter. Deaf and hard of hearing lives are at risk! https://t.co/JbVShJ88XH via @youtube

— Violet (@vwebtastic) September 10, 2017