Mass. mayor fires cop he says used racial slur to taunt Red Sox player Carl Crawford

Carl Crawford (13) completes some drills in the outfield before the second game of a doubleheader with the New York Yankees at Fenway Park July 7, 2012 in Boston, Massachusetts. / Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images

(CBS/AP) BOSTON - A Massachusetts mayor on Thursday fired a white police officer accused of using a racial slur to taunt Boston Red Sox outfielder Carl Crawford, saying the officer had "brought discredit" on himself and the department.

"You have demonstrated through your racist comments that you cannot continue as a patrol officer," Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella wrote in his termination notice to officer John Perrault.

Mazzarella's decision comes a day after Police Chief Robert Healey recommended during a disciplinary hearing that the mayor fire Perrault, saying he'd used racial slurs at least twice before.

Police officer punished for directing racial slur at Red Sox player Carl Crawford
Mass. cop focus of probe in racial slur aimed at Red Sox' Carl Crawford

Perrault's attorney, Joseph Sandulli, said his client would either appeal through the civil service commission or file a grievance through the police union. Sandulli said Perrault didn't intend the word as a racist insult and the city overreacted.

"He was criticizing Crawford for being a bad player, not because he was a black man," Sandulli said.

A Red Sox spokeswoman said the team would have no comment on the decision.

Perrault had been on paid leave since he called Crawford a "Monday" before a July 5 minor league game in Manchester, N.H.

The word can be used as a derogatory term for blacks, and is often associated with Mondays being one of the most-hated days of the week, such as in the common phrase, "I hate Mondays."

Crawford was playing with a Red Sox minor league affiliate while rehabilitating a wrist injury and Perrault attended the game while off duty. After Perrault taunted Crawford, the outfielder notified stadium officials.

In the termination notice, Mazzarella cited previous alleged racist remarks by Perrault, including when he repeatedly used a racial slur in a bar while watching black NBA players. In another instance at Leominster's St. Patrick's Day celebration, Perrault saw a black man wearing a shirt displaying the name of the Irish beer Guinness, and commented to him, "I didn't know they serve Guinness in Africa."

Sandulli said two superior officers with Perrault at the parade clearly didn't consider the remark improper because they didn't report it, even though they're obligated to report anything that violates department rules.

He said Perrault's alleged remarks at the bar were hearsay because the city relied on a written statement and never produced the witness for questioning. Also, Sandulli said, almost no one at the hearing, including Perrault, was previously aware that Monday can be used as a racist term.

"He feels strongly he didn't mean the comment in a racial way, and he's not a racist, and he wants to establish that," Sandulli said.

But Mazzarella didn't believe Perrault's explanations. "In arriving at this conclusion I did not check common sense at the door," he wrote, adding the word Monday was "certainly directed at Mr. Crawford's race."

"Your actions are so egregious that severe discipline is warranted," he said. "There is no place for someone who exhibits such objectionable behavior in the Leominster Police Department."

Crawford is looking to move past the July 5th incident.

"I'm not pleased with being called that name, I'm trying to put it behind me," he told WBZ Newsradio on Wednesday.

Sandulli told WBZ-TV Thursday that they are weighing their options for an appeal.

[ReckonedTruth]

I don't think I would have fired him.. put him on probation and demand he take a racial senitivity course..

However, this cop knew what he was doing and has HISTORY of making snide racial remarks as a COP who's suppose to protect and serve.. would he protect a "MONDAY"(ni&&er) in the line of duty? Hmmm.. you wonder..

..and BTW he did this continously at the ball park this wasn't the first time according to the player offended..but this was the first time a compliant was made by this ball player who heard the snide remarks several times from this contrary fan..

..everyone is responsible for their OWN rational vision upon life...and in some cases PPL are very irresponsible and believe in an illogical vision upon life... not only do afri-americans used the N-word towards each other in less than a half percentage..other races use racial slurs upon their own race as well..

[3511danny]

Can you imagine if a black police officer called a white baseball player a Monday. Do you think that police officer would be fired? I mean, come on.

[expatriate2]

The useage of "Monday" came from a BLACK comedian who said blacks were called Monday because no one likes Monday. The over-sensitivity and instant willingness to call anyone racist for what appears to be any reason has gone far past sanity. I can't count the times I've been called "Whitey" from blacks on street corners but I didn't go running to the Mayor and I never thought the blacks were suddenly "unfit" for whatever jobs they had. This is stupidity and it is similar to the Greek athlete removed from her Olympic team because she referred to a continent, not a people, and everyne was outraged in the name of "racism." I would prefer that blacks stop calling each other the N word just to prove that no one else dares use it. But I would also prefer that people be a little reasonable in judging others for the use of one word that has multiple meanings.

[Goldwater64s6]

IMO, the mayor did the right thing.

[enlightenu]

Monday Monday, so good to me,
Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be
Oh Monday morning, Monday morning couldn't guarantee
That Monday evening you would still be here with me.

Monday Monday, can't trust that day,
Monday Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way
Oh Monday morning, you gave me no warning of what was to be
Oh Monday Monday, how yould cou leave and not take me.

Every other day, every other day,
Every other day of the week is fine, yeah
But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes
You can find me cryin' all of the time

Monday Monday, so good to me,
Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be
Oh Monday morning, Monday morning couldn't guarantee
That Monday evening you would still be here with me.

Every other day, every other day,
Every other day of the week is fine, yeah
But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes
You can find me cryin' all of the time

Monday Monday, ...

Now it all makes sense. Oh Mamas and Papas, you so crazy.

[Dashall]

He called him a "Monday?" Monday is a racial term? Sorry, I have never heard that one. I grew up in the South and thought I knew all the racial terms. I teach in a school with 90% minorities and have never heard one kid call another a Monday. When school starts back up, I'll have to ask the kids. Sounds to me that the mayor was just trying to find a reason to fire the cop.

So I did some quick research and the term "Monday" as a slur looks to have originated with a comedian named Russell Peters. I had never heard of him.

[jmn122736]

If officer John Perrault didn't mean the term/word as a racial slur, then what did he mean by it?

There is still so much racial bias in America today that it is a miracle that President Obama was even elected. It can ONLY be because President Bush's administration was such a disaster to America and the Republican Party that NO republican could have been elected in 2008.
Regardless of his DNA, if President Obama looked 100% white instead of 100% black the republican efforts to blame him for everything Bush caused, and to block everything he tried to do to reverse that disaster would never have gotten off the ground. A sad consequence for America and everything we have ever stood for.

[nonpolitico]

So! As well as trying to get the 2nd Amendment overturned, there are officials who deny an individuals freedom of expression and freedom of speech.
Ever heard the "Sticks and Stones" rhyme?