Richland One investigates employee for ‘incendiary and derogatory’ Facebook comment
Richland County School District One said it is investigating an employee for making an “incendiary and derogatory” comment on social media Saturday about people involved in the protests in Columbia that turned chaotic and violent.
“We received several screenshots this evening of a social media post allegedly made by a district employee,” Richland One Superintendent Dr. Craig Witherspoon said in a statement.
Witherspoon said the post is not reflective of Richland One’s core values.
His statement did not identify the employee or give details about the post. But a man whose Facebook profile identifies himself as a district bus driver posted a comment on Facebook that said: “Treat them like Rabid Dog’s and SHOOT them!!!!”
The post was made on Saturday after a curfew was put in place for Columbia, as protests that started as peaceful devolved into riots in response to the death of a black man, George Floyd, in Minneapolis on Monday.
Messages left with Richland One officials Sunday were not immediately returned.
“Please be assured that we will fully investigate this matter and appropriate action will be taken based on the results of that investigation,” Witherspoon said in his statement.
One person who replied to the school district’s statement called for the employee to be fired immediately.
“(It’s) his job as a public servant to not only (drive) our children but be a great representation of RSDO!!! Outwardly voicing his opinion of shooting PEOPLE down ... whatever race is beyond terrible especially from someone working (children)!! How do we know he won’t turn on our (children) one day and shoot them down!!!”
Another person commented: “I am the parent of two BLACK MALE students who attend Richland county district one schools and take the bus to get there. I am outraged and insist this racist individual be terminated. A person who spews this type of bigotry can not be, MUST NOT be allowed to work with our youth.”
Tensions have been raised across the nation as Floyd’s death has sparked national outrage since a video showed a police officer kneeling on his neck before he died.
