MD Fire Lieutenant`s Facebook Posts Being Investigated

Nov. 16--The Baltimore County Fire Department is reviewing a social media post on a lieutenant's personal Facebook account that discusses racial tensions in the department, and cautions co-workers not to "start behaving like their ancestors during Slavery and Pre-Civil rights days."

"We are aware of the post. We cannot discuss any kind of personnel actions," said Elise Armacost, a spokeswoman for the fire department. Armacost declined to name the employee attached to the account.

Officials in Baltimore County sent a memo to all employees in September reminding them of a longstanding county policy against "brutal or offensive" behavior in the workplace and on private time, including personal social media.

The county fire department also has its own social media policy, which prohibits fire employees from posting things that constitute harassment, hate speech or libel.

The message was posted on Facebook under what appears to be a pseudonym. The account has since become inactive, and the person could not be reached for comment. It's not clear when the post was written.

Armacost said the department has spent "a great deal of time" educating employees about appropriate ways to use social media, including how to express opinions without crossing the line into statements that could undermine the public's trust in the agency.

"This is an issue not just for people in the fire department or in county government," Armacost said. "People all over the country are having problems knowing how to manage their social media lives. The obligations are particularly acute when you work for a public service entity."

The Facebook post states that racial tensions "got so heavy recently" that firefighters were told to discuss race relations "to try to clear the air and get people to better understand each other."

The post discusses addressing co-workers -- "gun supporting, confederate flag loving, deer hunting, tobacco in the lip Patriots." It states: "We are a new generation of African Americans and you will get yo (expletive) whipped."

In a reference to President-elect Donald Trump, the post said: "Please don't let Mr. Trump get you (expletive) up. And I'm so sincere about this."

It ends with a smiley-face emoji.

pwood@baltsun.com

twitter.com/pwoodreporter

Copyright 2016 - The Baltimore Sun