Fire department employee in Colorado fired after public outcry over racist incident
An employee of the fire department in Golden, Colorado, has been fired after public outcry over a racist incident last spring.
In a press release from the City of Golden, officials said a "Snoop on a Stoop" doll had been moved around the fire station during the holiday season. In March, the doll was discovered hanging by its neck from a rope in a fire station stairwell. The city says it investigated the incident, took disciplinary action, and brought in an outside consultant to offer training for the fire department.
When other city employees learned of the incident last week, they reportedly pushed back against what they saw as a lack of accountability or appropriate response.
"Their feedback made clear that our response did not adequately reflect the seriousness of this incident or the impact it had on our employees and community," city officials said. "We are grateful to the employees who spoke up. Their voices prompted us to reflect on our response and acknowledge that we fell far short in our responsibility to city staff and our community."
The city says it reviewed the issue and the employee involved no longer works with the fire department. Officials say a third-party investigation into the incident and the city's response will also be conducted.
"In addition, an independent, third-party investigation will be undertaken to understand the broader context in which this situation was able to occur, the response that followed, what further consequences or actions need to be taken, and how to avoid this in [the] future," the city said. "To our employees, residents, visitors, and every member of our community, especially our Black community and all those who have experienced racism or discrimination, we are profoundly sorry."
Golden has a task force to build a culture of respect, inclusion, and belonging, but officials say the city failed to live up to those values. They added that they will learn from this and work to restore the trust of the community.
