He is accused of slandering his employer. At issue is a Facebook post he made while in Florida about a dispute regarding sick time. While on the trip back to Florida in December, he proposed to his girlfriend and was seeking treatment for a back injury. It was then he had the disagreement and took to social media.
Now, he could face up to five years in prison for breaking United Arab Emirates law. He said he was surprised to learn what he did would get him in trouble, since he was in the U.S. where he presumed his First Amendment rights would protect him from legal action, he said. Pate’s congressman, Rep. David Jolly has tried to intervene on his behalf.