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View Full Version : Cop resigns over Facebook post calling Obama a "camel jockey"



Teh One Who Knocks
05-20-2011, 04:51 PM
By Rhonda Cook - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution


http://i.imgur.com/rksL8.jpg

A Barrow County deputy resigned after he was confronted with postings from his Facebook page that included derogatory references to President Obama with terms like “towel headed” and “camel jockey.”

According to Channel 2 Action News, the sheriff had opened an internal investigation of the Internet writings of former Capt. Lewis Rusgrove but that ended with his resignation on Thursday.

Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said Rusgrove’s postings became an issue for the office because he identified himself on the page as captain, CID, or Criminal Investigations Department, at the Barrow County Sheriff's office.

"It was a big concern to me," Smith told Channel 2.

The discussion thread on his page began with high gas prices. Then Rusgrove wrote, “Damocrats, blacks or African-Americans where is the outrage towards your towel headed leader.”

He wrote, you “voted this camel jockey into office.”

The discussion ended with, "I guess you're too busy helping baby killers, gays, and pot heads.”

Smith learned of the Facebook postings when someone slid a printout of the page under his office door.

Initially Rusgrove was suspended without pay for 10 days.

After his suspension, Rusgrove wrote a letter to the sheriff saying his comments were of a political nature and did not come out of hatred. According to Channel 2, Rusgrove also wrote in rebuttal that his 10-day suspension was excessive and violated his free speech rights to express his political views away from work.

The sheriff opened an internal investigation when employees said they were uncomfortable with Rusgrove’s opinions.

Rusgrove did not respond to a message left on his home

RBP
05-20-2011, 04:59 PM
What does that have to do with his job?

PorkChopSandwiches
05-20-2011, 05:00 PM
exactly, guess we have no need for freedom of speech

Hal-9000
05-20-2011, 05:11 PM
comments did not come out of hatred....:lol:

no, that was extreme disdain

Acid Trip
05-20-2011, 06:49 PM
Chalk up another victory for the politically correct crowd.

Current Score: PC 43,107,134 & Common Sense 21

Deepsepia
05-20-2011, 07:40 PM
Comical. So here we have Barack Obama -- who actually got Bin Laden-- being attacked by an ignorant cop as a "camel jockey".

Its hard to know what to make of the comments. They're racist, but they're racist towards a race that Obama isn't.

So that makes them racist and ignorant.

Now, you have a perfect right to be racist and ignorant-- but you don't have the right to be racist and ignorant in the employ of the State . . .

RBP
05-20-2011, 09:03 PM
Now, you have a perfect right to be racist and ignorant-- but you don't have the right to be racist and ignorant in the employ of the State . . .

I completely disagree. You don't have the right to be racist and ignorant while on the job in the employ of the state.

DemonGeminiX
05-20-2011, 09:13 PM
When I worked for a college as a tutor (which technically is a Georgia state job) back in the 90s, I was made to sign an affidavit that stated that I would not bad mouth the US and GA governments and every sitting official at any time and that failure to adhere to that rule would result in my immediate dismissal. Now while I doubt it's enforced much, technically, Deep is right... or at least he is in the case of state of GA employees.

Acid Trip
05-20-2011, 09:18 PM
Now, you have a perfect right to be racist and ignorant-- but you don't have the right to be racist and ignorant in the employ of the State . . .

The DMV employees must be exempt from that rule...

Deepsepia
05-20-2011, 10:35 PM
I completely disagree. You don't have the right to be racist and ignorant while on the job in the employ of the state.

No, not the case. Military and Police Officers, among others, give up significant rights because of the position that they hold. Police Officers, for example, cannot plead the 5th Amendment-- or rather they can, but then they're discharged for that.

Police Departments have "Codes of Conduct" the have sanctions for conduct even while not on duty . . . I don't see a link to Barrow County Sheriff's "Code of Conduct" online, but they undoubtedly have one.

The generally have a clause like this one



Police officers will behave in a manner that does not bring discredit to their agencies or themselves. A police officer's character and conduct while off duty must always be exemplary, thus maintaining a position of respect in the community in which he or she lives and serves. The officer's personal behavior must be beyond reproach.
http://county.milwaukee.gov/LawEnforcementCodeof9154.htm


Folks get fired under this sort of language all the time -- when you get the cops who pose naked, that's on their own time, but they get fired too.

In this case Rusgrove was identifying himself as a Captain in the Police force-- if he'd done this anonymously, who'd have known or cared? By identifying himself as Police Captain he went very far wrong.

minz
05-20-2011, 10:45 PM
It’s irrelevant whether it’s the President or the guy next door, it’s not acceptable to refer to people in that way, and police are meant to set an example, what kind of example is that?

Lambchop
05-20-2011, 11:08 PM
Feel bad for the guy. If I lost my placement at uni as a result of one of the many ignorant comments I make in private or to friends I'd cry like a baby and my father would probably beat me.