Police officer loses two jobs after posting racial slur on Snapchat
The officer was fired from one position after two weeks on the job
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Melissa Adamson, a part-time police officer in Pennsylvania, lost two jobs after posting a racial slur to her Snapchat account.
The post purportedly shows Ms Adamson wearing her uniform and posing with the caption, “I’m the law today n***a.” When the Snapchat image surfaced online, Mayor Michael Cherepko of McKeesport fired Ms Adamson from her position after her first few weeks on the job.
Mayor Cherepko addressed the indiscretion on Tuesday by saying that the terminated officer’s actions would not be tolerated in his borough.
“This post displays a degree of conduct and character that is far different from what I would expect from an officer in this city. It is absolutely unacceptable,” he wrote on the city’s Facebook account. “Without hesitation, my office and the police chief’s office immediately concluded that this officer’s actions will not be tolerated in the City of McKeesport. She has been relieved of her duties, and her employment has been terminated.”
Ms Adamson stepped down from her second part-time job in Versailles after the image surface online, WTAE reports. Her former employer, the Pitcairn Police Department, also released a statement on the matter.
“There has been a picture circulating around of an ex-female employee of the Pitcairn Police Department,” the statement reads. “As the picture alone does not constitute misconduct, it is symbolic speech and protected under the First Amendment. However, it is the content of the text in the picture which is unacceptable. The Pitcairn Police Department holds high integrity for the community we serve and this type of conduct will not be tolerated.”
The former officer has since apologised for the image and called her actions a "stupid mistake."
“Everyone knows that I don’t have a racist bone in my body,” she told the local news outlet. “And people who don’t know me, I can understand why it was misconstrued to where it looks racist. But like I said, everyone who knows me, knows I’m not racist.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.