Police sergeant fired for Confederate flag

[struggle4progress]

By Sarah Larimer August 2 at 5:30 AM

The complaint came in July, from a man who said he drove by a Georgia home and spotted the flag flying out front.

It was a Confederate flag, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported, and a Roswell Police Department officer lived at the home.

“It is very difficult to explain to my daughter that we should trust our police,” the man wrote in an email, according to the newspaper. “But in the same sentiment if I were to ever be pulled over or some situation where my family needs the police to protect and serve, my first thought/fear is that it may be the officer proudly flying his/her Confederate flag.”

The Journal-Constitution reports that the officer who lives in the home, Silvia Cotriss, has since been fired from her job as a police sergeant. She told the newspaper that she didn’t realize that some found the flag to be offensive; she’ll reportedly appeal the termination ...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/08/02/police-sergeant-fired-for-having-a-confederate-flag-in-front-of-her-house/

[DavidDvorkin]

1. "She didn't realize that some found the flag to be offensive"!

If she's sincere about that, then she's stunningly unaware.

[Skittles]

2. she's lying

and I would question the decision-making abilities of ANYONE who proudly displays that piece of SHIT flag

[TipTok]

3. She'll sue and she'll win...

[Lee-Lee]

5. Maybe

It all depends on how the law is in GA and how her record was before this.

First bad mark on her record, she probably will win. If she was on the edge of being fired anyway probably not.

In NC it's harder to fire a police officer than a deputy, even though all collective bargaining is illegal for police so there are no union rules or contracts. A Sheriff's deputy in NC works at the "will and pleasure" of the sheriff and as such can be terminated at any time for any or no reason.

[TipTok]

6. Fair enough...

I think it's bad precedent to start firing folks for something, on their private property, that can have a wide spectrum of meanings to many different people.

[Lee-Lee]

7. If I was chief I would make the issue her claims she "didn't know" it was offensive

To me that is a far bigger than the flag- she obviously was being dishonest to investigators or is living in a la-la land with no clue about race relations. Neither is acceptable for a law enforcement officer.

Her answer is enough to cause "loss of confidence" in her abilities to be a sworn LEO- because she is either dishonest or totally tone deaf to racial issues. Either is grounds for firing in my book.

Had she just admitted to being insensitive and removed it I would say firing may be harder to justify- but she dug her hole far deeper with her responses.

[raven mad]

4. Ever been to Roswell?

Guarantee one of the first words out of a local shopkeeper will start with "N" and end with "R".