Collage courtesy of the St. Louis American.
An African-American police union is calling for the termination of a white news reporter after he made a racist comment in reference to Micheal Brown’s mother, Lezley McSpadden, speaking at this week’s Democratic National Convention.
The offensive remark was made by Fox 2 News reporter and photographer Bobby Hughes in response to a Facebook Post by St. Louis city officer Lt. Jerry Foster on July 22.
“Why not let them speak,” Foster wrote in reference to McSpadden and other Mothers of the Movement who were invited to speak at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia. “It is the Democratic Criminal Party. How fitting.”
According to the St. Louis American, a link to a critical article about McSpadden being asked to speak at the high-profile convention was located underneath the lieutenant’s comment. A slew of racist remarks ensued, including one from Hughes and the others from former city police officers, the publication reports.
“She’s going to talk about the new lead diet she’s endorsed,” Hughes wrote in response. “Five servings and you can lose 200 lbs in two years easily.”
The reporter’s disgusting comment outraged many in the St. Louis community, but most notably the Ethical Society of Police. The organization, comprised of African-American police officers, is one that represents over 200 minority law enforcement officials in and around the city. Per the St. Louis American, the society released a statement July 26 demanding that Hughes issue an apology to the community and Brown’s family for his remarks.
“The reference to ‘lead,’ the loss of ‘200 lbs in two years,’ and other words in this statement are a clear reference to Michael Brown being shot and killed by Officer Darren Wilson in 2014,” the society’s statement read.
“The trivial manner in which Mr. Hughes refers to the brutal death of Michael Brown is disheartening,” it continued. “We should all seek to behave in a manner that’s humane to others, especially when someone has experienced such a loss as Mrs. McSpadden and the Brown family.”
According to Raw Story, community members who saw the offensive Facebook post blasted and identified several other city employees who approved of it, including retired city officers Daniel Peek and Michael Lowry, and former city officer Joyce Dreste. Another man who “liked” the post was Steven Burle; Burle serves on the St. Louis police department unit that investigates officer-involved shootings, the news site reports.
Both the community and Ethical Society of Police are now pushing for Hughes’ termination. The organization notified Fox 2 News of the reporter’s inflammatory comments, after which they were removed from his Facebook page.
Ethical Society of Police President Heather Taylor also called St. Louis Metropolitan Police Chief Sam Dotson on July 28 to see if Lt. Jerry Foster, who made the initial Facebook post, would be reprimanded as well, the St. Louis American reports. Taylor said she was told that the department had started an internal investigation into the matter. The society president also plans on sending Dotson at least 15 other inappropriate and racist social media posts that were made by city police officers, according to the local paper.
“They have helped to continue the divide between the police and our community,” said Taylor, who serves in the department’s homicide unit. “We each have the right to freedom of speech, under the First Amendment. However, we must be careful that our rights don’t harm others with our own hatred, intolerance, and ignorance as we use that right.”
It is still unclear whether Fox 2 News will take any action to fire Hughes and/or Foster. If that termination doesn’t happen, community have vowed to boycott the news station.
Hughes has since issued an apology for his comments.
“I would like to apologize for the hurtful posts I recently made on my Facebook page,” the reporter wrote. “I specifically want to tell Michael Brown’s family how very sorry I am,” he wrote. “As a parent, I can’t imagine losing a child and what I wrote was incredibly insensitive considering all that Mrs. Lezley McSpadden has been through. My two inappropriate posts are by no means a reflection of the views at KTVI/KPLR. They are a news organization that prides itself on being fair. I on the other hand was anything but fair – and for that I am deeply sorry.”
