Prison guard trainees were photographed giving a Nazi salute. The entire class was fired.

[90DayFinancier 910]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/12/30/prison-guard-trainees-were-photographed-giving-nazi-salute-whole-class-got-fired/

 

Most graduation photos capture candidates on the cusp of a promising future. But for one class of cadets at West Virginia’s state corrections academy captured performing a Nazi salute, their final class picture marks the end of their careers.

Gov. Jim Justice (R) announced Monday that he had approved the recommendation of his cabinet secretary that all of the cadets pictured in the photo captioned “Hail Byrd!” be terminated.

The decision affects at least 32 cadets. One additional staff member at the Corrections Academy was also recommended for firing, joining two other workers who were fired on Dec. 6, a day after the photo of the training class emerged publicly. Four other academy staff members will be suspended without pay.

 

[90DayFinancier 910]

Incredible in this day and age.

 

 

"The report found that the Nazi salute originated with a cadet who encouraged classmates to use it “as a sign of respect for Byrd,” a reference to instructor Karrie Byrd. Several other cadets reportedly objected to making a Nazi salute and called it out as inappropriate, only for the instigating cadet to tell them, “Look at me, I am black and I am doing it,” the report said.

Two other instructors who saw the class make the gesture reportedly reprimanded the cadets, thinking that ended the issue. The report states that separately, Byrd told the class “she saw nothing wrong with the gesture and allowed it to continue.”

[90DayFinancier 910]

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/west-virginia-correctional-cadets-who-gave-nazi-salute-photo-will-n1108656

 

"Byrd told investigators she was unaware of the “historical or racial implications of the gesture” and reported it was “simply a greeting," according to the report. But her statement was contradicted by multiple sources, the report released Monday says.

 

 

"The investigation disclosed that she encouraged it, reveled in it, and at times reciprocated the gesture," the report states. "Additionally, Byrd appeared to overrule the corrective actions taken by others and assured the cadets the behavior was acceptable.""

[laylalex 7,284]

It's never right, no matter what your skin tone is, no matter what your religion is. I think ultimately Byrd is the most to blame -- many of these cadets were kids and needed her leadership to tell them this isn't right, and why it isn't right. 

[90DayFinancier 910]

27 minutes ago, laylalex said:

It's never right, no matter what your skin tone is, no matter what your religion is. I think ultimately Byrd is the most to blame -- many of these cadets were kids and needed her leadership to tell them this isn't right, and why it isn't right. 

Why does the behavior have any foothold in today's world? We keep hearing on this site how SPLC is fake news, but these incidents are on the increase.

Edited December 31, 2019 by 90DayFinancier

[90DayFinancier 910]

https://www.adl.org/news/press-releases/anti-semitic-incidents-remained-at-near-historic-levels-in-2018-assaults

New York, NY, April 30, 2019 … The U.S. Jewish community experienced near-historic levels of anti-Semitism in 2018, including a doubling of anti-Semitic assaults and the single deadliest attack against the Jewish community in American history, according to new data from ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) issued today. ADL’s annual Audit of Anti-Semitic incidents recorded a total of 1,879 attacks against Jews and Jewish institutions across the country in 2018, the third-highest year on record since ADL started tracking such data in the 1970s.

In a year marked by the white supremacist shooting spree at a Pittsburgh synagogue, which claimed 11 lives, and punctuated by a dramatic surge in white supremacist propaganda activity nationwide, ADL’s Audit identified 59 people who were victims of anti-Semitic assaults in 2018, up from 21 in 2017. While the overall number of incidents represents a 5 percent decline from 1,986 incidents reported in 2017, the number of incidents last year remained at near-historic levels – 48 percent higher than the total for 2016 and 99 percent higher than in 2015.

“We’ve worked hard to push back against anti-Semitism, and succeeded in improving hate crime laws, and yet we continue to experience an alarmingly high number of anti-Semitic acts,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director. “We unfortunately saw this trend continue into 2019 with the tragic shooting at the Chabad synagogue in Poway. It’s clear we must remain vigilant in working to counter the threat of violent anti-Semitism and denounce it in all forms, wherever the source and regardless of the political affiliation of its proponents.”

[Dashinka 24,492]

1 hour ago, 90DayFinancier said:

Incredible in this day and age.

 

 

"The report found that the Nazi salute originated with a cadet who encouraged classmates to use it “as a sign of respect for Byrd,” a reference to instructor Karrie Byrd. Several other cadets reportedly objected to making a Nazi salute and called it out as inappropriate, only for the instigating cadet to tell them, “Look at me, I am black and I am doing it,” the report said.

Two other instructors who saw the class make the gesture reportedly reprimanded the cadets, thinking that ended the issue. The report states that separately, Byrd told the class “she saw nothing wrong with the gesture and allowed it to continue.”

Sounds like this cadet was an idiot.  I doubt he will be getting many Christmas cards from his classmates.

[90DayFinancier 910]

4 minutes ago, Bill & Katya said:

Sounds like this cadet was an idiot.  I doubt he will be getting many Christmas cards from his classmates.

Read the article please, it is not about the actions of one individual. It started with the instructor.

[Dashinka 24,492]

Just now, 90DayFinancier said:

Read the article please, it is not about the actions of one individual. It started with the instructor.

I was responding to the snip you posted.

[90DayFinancier 910]

1 minute ago, Bill & Katya said:

I was responding to the snip you posted.

This outlines the behavior of the instructor

 

 

[Burnt Reynolds 5,058]

Some good reactionary clickbait.

 

While it's an incredibly dumb and distasteful look, this (and other documented acts) were clearly done in jest, nothing to do with "Nazism", and the only one that need suffer consequences is Byrd, who tried to coerce people into doing it. For the rest, it should just be a good life lesson. It's hard to believe no one knew the background of the salute, or that they lacked the emotional or social intelligence not to know the cultural implications of it. They were clearly doing as offensive comedy, or to appease their boss, and that's fine in one's personal life (regardless of how the squeamish will react just as knee-jerk anyways), but in most cases something that shouldn't be done at work or with a uniform on. It's asking for trouble.

 

The visceral reaction, especially soliciting a response from the "The Council on American-Islamic Relations" (as if the Nazi salute has anything to do with Islam) is icing on the cake. It's like an Onion piece. Fitting then that the OP's response is to later cite this in some larger scheme of "anti-Semitism" even though the actions clearly had nothing to do with antisemitism either. 😂 It's like comedy that writes itself.