El Monte lifeguards fired over 'Gangnam Style' video

EL MONTE, Calif. (KABC) -- A group of lifeguards in El Monte has been fired after making a video featuring Korean pop singer PSY's popular hit, "Gangnam Style."

According to the lifeguards, they thought the video would be a fun way to do something to remember the summer by, since they were getting ready to return to school.

The city of El Monte says it wasn't the content of the video that led to the lifeguards and pool manager getting fired. Instead, it had to do with what the city calls the unauthorized use of a city facility for the groups' private benefit.

In a written statement to Eyewitness News, the city said:

"There was a clear unauthorized use of city resources and property, including the use of city issued uniforms during the making of this unauthorized video. The city maintains that it holds all employees to a higher standard."

"I got in trouble because I was the manager and they wanted me to be the eyes and ears of what was happening and I was, I did my job, it's just because this mistake that I made, that I didn't think it was a bad thing, I lost my job," said former pool manager Gabriel Gonzalez.

The lifeguards say 13 of the 14 fired are college students, and the job helped pay for their education.

"To be blunt, this was my only job and my only source of income in terms of paying for books and contributing to my schooling. So as of right now I guess I'll be back on the job hunt and I don't even know if I'm going to get any good recommendations now with this going on," said former lifeguard Michael Roa.

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los angeles news, sid garcia

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