Cop fired in racist e-mail flap regarding Henry Louis Gates Jr.

[Bluebear]

A Boston cop who fired off an e-mail that used a racial slur about Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. has been bounced from the force.

Police announced this afternoon that Officer Justin Barrett has been “terminated” after five charges were filed against him by a hearing officer for the insulting missive.

Barrett, 36, wrote a widely disseminated e-mail calling black Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. a “banana-eating jungle monkey” this past July.

The e-mail prompted Menino to tell the Herald and other media that Barrett was “gone, G-O-N-E.”

Police Commissioner Edward Davis also denounced Barrett’s e-mail and launched the process that was expected to end in the cop’s termination. Davis announced today he backs the firing. “Given the egregious nature of his actions and its effect on our community, I strongly believe that the only appropriate discipline is termination. I commend the officers who voiced their disapproval of Officer Barrett’s actions,” Davis said in a statement....

Barrett, who earned about $78,000, is fired as of today, police added.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1230926&srvc=rss


Barrett. Disgraced.

[HipChick]

1. good!

[angstlessk]

2. I recon he can find a job guarding white supremists hideouts? n/r

[MrModerate]

3. Heck, who would find such a phrase offensive . . .

especially coming from someone who's sent out by the State, armed and with authority to kill if he considers it necessary, to control the behavior of those he described in such a charming manner?

[superduperfarleft]

4. Here's the email.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/073009_barrett_email/

He calls him that three times, also mentioning he would've pepper-sprayed him for his "belligerence.". What a classy guy.

[Bluebear]

7. Honest to pete.

What creates this?

[Grand Taurean]

5. This streetwalker earned $78,000?

:wtf:

That's alot of money for a lazy thug.

I am pleased to see him unemployed.
Perhaps he can guard, KKK rallies, I mean, the "tea parties".

[paulsby]

6. since he was stupid enough to use AGENCY EMAIL to make the comments

his firing is justified.

if he had done it on his private email, imo his free speech rights would have trumped the considerations

but since he used dept. email, his firing (or at least discipline) is justified imo