Nine campus police officers have earned a spot in the unemployment line after sharing misogynistic, racist and other offensive posts on social media.
The Hampton University police department fired nine officers it said went online and posted racist, misogynistic and other offensive comments.(Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
On Thursday, the Hampton University police department announceds the firings of nine officers it said “egregiously violated” the university’s code of conduct, Norfolk’s WTKR reported.
“Every member of the Hampton University community must adhere to the university’s code of conduct,” the department said in a statement, adding that the university “has a zero tolerance for such behavior.”
The officers, who remain unnamed, were once part of force composed of 43 authorized positions, including 25 state-certified officers, 10 security guards and five telecommunication staffers, according to the university’s website.
The school, a historically black private university in Virginia, has remained mum about the nature of the offending posts, or what was said. However, a letter of termination obtained by local station WAVY explains that the select group of officers/supervisors had engaged in so-called “Meme Wars, ” a friendly exchange of insults using photos and captions, directed at each other and outside parties.
“While you didn’t produce any of the memes, you admittedly participated in the group,” reads the letter from Deputy Chief Robert Davis to an unnamed officer. “Your involvement is deemed inappropriate behavior and behavior unbecoming of an officer.”
“The memes produced and shared in this group were egregious and extremely inappropriate to be shared the workplace” he added. “As a result, I’m recommending your immediate termination.”
