Common sense is not so common!
A 25-year-old state correctional officer showed his true colors when he mocked the recent hate-fueled genocide that killed 10 people in Buffalo. The guard has been assigned to the Attica prison for maximum security and has now been fired without pay after posting a meme on Facebook about the shooting, officials confirmed Tuesday.
Marked as Correctional and Community Supervision Department Guard Gregory C. Foster II Who is now facing termination from the job he has held since June 1997.
Foster made a post on Facebook that included a meme from Tops Supermarket that contained the location of the racist attack on 18-year-old Payton Gandron of Conclin, Broome County. Below this was a crude mention of the attack.
With the meme, someone using Foster or his account added an additional comment: “Too soon? It should be out of some FB friends.” It ended with a smiley emoji.
A Facebook user took a screenshot of the post, which has been widely re-posted on Facebook and Twitter with much condemnation.
“The remarks made by this correctional officer are disgusting, violate multiple department rules, and will not be tolerated,” the agency said in a statement to CNHI by its communications director, Thomas Maily.
The state agency added: “This heinous posting does not represent the ethics and values of the thousands of staff members. The person responsible has been dismissed without pay and DOCCS will seek termination. ”
The prison body, which is part of the executive branch of the state government, It also said it had brought in its civil rights task force, which suggested an investigation that could lead to a criminal case.
It has also launched an internal investigation to identify and discipline other staff members who may have been involved in the posting, ”the correctional agency said.
Prison reform lawyer Jose Saldana says New York inmates often have to deal with racist intimidation by correctional officers, adding that such activity is often out of control in Attica.
Saldana, a former prisoner who is now leading the release of elderly people in prison, said many correctional officers consider themselves “untouchables” when involved in racist activities.
“This is tolerated by the state,” said Saldana, who spent 38 years in prison after being convicted of attempting to kill a police officer. “They let the officers keep their jobs, their pensions as if they did nothing wrong.”
The Union of State Correctional Officers has condemned the social media post.
Michael Powers, president of the New York State Corrections Officers Police Benevolent Association, said in a statement: Simply put, there is no place for hate speech in our organization. As a statewide entity representing people of all races, genders, races and backgrounds, we pride ourselves on being part of the community’s work by volunteering and participating in community efforts to improve the lives of our neighbors. “
Powers added: “We do not condone or tolerate such acts because we are not. We are proud to stand with the Buffalo community, the law enforcement agencies who responded to this tragedy and those who have been affected by this senseless violence. “