City rehires lifeguards fired for 'Gangnam Style' spoof

The El Monte (Calif.) City Council has voted 3-2 to reinstate 14 city lifeguards who were fired after making a Gangnam Style spoof video at the city swimming pool, the San Gabriel Valley News reports.

They were fired last month from the El Monte Aquatic Center for what the city said was unauthorized use of city resources for their own personal benefit, the newspaper says.

The lifeguards say the video spoofing Korean rapper PSY was made while they were off-duty. It shows lifeguards in city-issued swimsuits dancing underwater and on diving boards at the center.

The controversy, however, is also caught up in allegations by former workers of nepotism and poor management at the Aquatic Center.

The council voted Tuesday to rehire the workers pending a review of the center's management, policies and procedures, the Valley News reports. Mayor Andre Quintero says the lifeguards are more likely to cooperate with the review if they're employed.

The uproar over the firing of the guards, most of whom are college students, has sparked outrage among their supporters who have packed City Council meetings.