SnapchatA part-time police officer lost two jobs after after posting a racial slur to her Snapchat account.
Melissa Adamson posted a photo of her wearing her uniform with the caption: “I’m the law today n***a.”
When the Snapchat image surfaced online, Mayor Michael Cherepko of McKeesport fired Adamson from her position after her first few weeks on the job.
As Mayor of the City of McKeesport, I feel compelled to publicly address an issue that has come to my attention via…
Posted by City of McKeesport – Mayor's Office on Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Adamson stepped down from her second part-time job as a police officer in Versailles after the image surface online, according to WTAE.
Her former employer, the Pitcairn Police Department, also released a statement on the matter:
There has been a picture circulating around of an ex-female employee of the Pitcairn Police Department. As the picture alone does not constitute misconduct, it is symbolic speech and protected under the First Amendment. However, it is the content of the text in the picture which is unacceptable. The Pitcairn Police Department holds high integrity for the community we serve and this type of conduct will not be tolerated.
WTAEAdamson has since apologised for the image and called her actions a ‘stupid mistake’.
She said:
Everyone knows that I don’t have a racist bone in my body. And people who don’t know me, I can understand why it was misconstrued to where it looks racist. But like I said, everyone who knows me, knows I’m not racist.
Unfortunately for Adamson though, using a racial slur on Snapchat does constitute as being racially insensitive.
