A St. Louis City fireman is under investigation after using the n-word in a Facebook post.
According to station KSDK, firefighter Dennis Beckman reportedly used the slur in response to a St. Louis TV station’s Facebook post about CNN anchor Don Lemon‘s comments calling white men the “biggest terror threat” to America.
Firefighter Dennis Beckman has reportedly been placed on leave after posting a racial slur on Facebook. (KSDK / video screenshot)
“Sounds like something an n-word would say … not a respectable black man,” Beckman wrote. “I work with plenty of black men that I trust with my life, on a daily basis, and I doubt that this would come out of their mouths.”
The St. Louis Fire Department said it first learned of the offensive post last week after the Ethical Society of Police brought Beckman’s comments to the department’s attention. The fire chief has since launched an investigation and a spokesman said “disciplinary proceedings” are underway.
It’s unclear whether Beckman has been placed on leave, however.
The city of St. Louis has a social media policy for in place for employees, which explicitly prohibits workers from posting content “that disparages a person or group of persons based on that person’s or group’s race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, ancestry, religion, marital status, disability, or age (over 40).”
Rev. Darryl Gray, the community liaison for the Ethical Society of Police, called the fireman’s comment’s “unacceptable”
“If you feel it keep it to yourself,” Gray told KSDK. But once you say it, once you act out on it there will be consequences. I think the use of the word n—-r is enough … regardless of what he said after that.”
After multiple calls to the city’s public safety director, the group said it was told Beckman was reprimanded and placed on some sort of leave, according to the station. A department spokesman wouldn’t confirm or deny any disciplinary action taken against the firefighter.
The incident comes a year after a St. Louis police officer was accused of posting a meme referring to Black Lives Matter demonstrators as “The Klan with a tan.”
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