University of Missouri officials have fired an MU police officer after investigating the employee over a blackface photo.
MU Police Officer Marcus Collins was fired Tuesday after officials confirmed he was the individual in the photo.
The image, which was posted on a social media platform, was taken prior to Collins’ employment with the police department. Collins started with MUPD in January of 2018.
Top university officials were notified of the picture Tuesday morning, according to MU spokesperson Christian Basi.
“We made contact with Collins and he admitted it was him in the photo,” Basi says. “So there was not a need to do much more of an investigation other than talk with him briefly.”
Basi says the decision was made immediately.
The police department undergoes regular training with the Division of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity, according to Basi. “The police chief is very aware of the incident and will be looking into whether any additional actions or discussions are needed,” he says.
In a statement, MU Chancellor Alexander Cartwright said:
“This type of behavior is not tolerated at Mizzou, and we understand how this impacts our entire community profoundly. Racism, hate and insensitive behavior have no place on our campus. We are committed to our values of respect, responsibility, discovery and excellence, and to making our campus a place where everyone feels welcome and protected.”
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