Lieutenant engaged in online conversation in which city's African-American mayor is compared to a gorilla
NEWARK -- A veteran police lieutenant was fired Wednesday for disparaging Ras Baraka, the city's African-American mayor, in a Facebook exchange this summer, department spokesman Sgt. Ron Glover said Thursday.
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"As we continue to improve our community relations and to develop police legitimacy, we will not condone the type of behavior that Lt. [Anthony] Caruso displayed while referring to a member of our city administration as a gorilla," Police Director Eugene Venable said in a statement.
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Attempts to reach Caruso for comment were unsuccessful. According to state records, the 23-year police veteran leaves behind a $133,528 annual salary.
The department launched an investigation in late July after a member of the public sent police officials a screenshot of a Facebook conversation between Caruso and what is believed to be a retired officer. The retired officer posted a photo of a gorilla captioned ""Lmfao....How's your mayor?"
"Exactly!!!!", Caruso replied, touching off a brief exchange between the two.
Glover said that while the department does not actively monitor employees' social media activity, a "general order" is in place governing online conduct that prohibits " employees from making any comment or opinion that defames the department or is derogatory in nature towards the City of Newark or any of its employees."
In explaining Caruso's termination, Venable said the lieutenant "wilfully" violated the policy and that the exchange was seen by "numerous persons."
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