Official in Tennessee resigns over KKK Facebook posts
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- An official in Tennessee’s Shelby County resigned over comments he made about the Ku Klux Klan on Facebook, CBS affiliate WREG in Memphis reported on Tuesday.
The official, David Barber, had served as the deputy director of the Shelby County Corrections Center -- until his resignation was accepted over the posts.
“The KKK is more American than the illegal president!” Barber posted.
“I TRUMP wins and obummer cannot start martial law, he will run to his new mansion in thaArab world to hide,” he wrote in another post, according to News Channel 3. “Hopefully the Muslims will eliminate him and mooshelle as queers.”
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that Barber offered to resign following a conversation about the comments, which WREG says were reportedly made during hours he wasn’t working.
“After discussing the offensive nature of the comments and the impact they would have on the corrections center, he offered to resign and it was accepted by Corrections Director William Gupton,” the statement said, WREG reported.
Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell, Jr., however, told the station it doesn’t appear the posts violated any county policy.
Luttrell said he became aware of the posts on Friday, and that his office investigated them.
Pastor Bill Adkins of the Greater Imani Church in Memphis said KKK sympathies shouldn’t be tolerated.
“This is a violent terrorist organization and any sympathies toward the Klan should not be tolerated in government,” Adkins told WREG. “And in the position that’s he’s in, well, what must he be treating black prisoners if these are his thoughts?”
Others took to social media to demand Barber be fired:
Barber worked for the corrections center for 17 years and was named deputy director two years ago. He had previously served as the center’s finance administrator, News Channel 3 reported.
