Florida officials are investigating a racist social media post that shows the face of Willie Taggart, the first black head coach at Florida State University, superimposed over the body of a black man hanging from a tree.
The message, posted among comments on a Florida State football fan page on Facebook after FSU’s 41-14 loss to Florida on Saturday, led Hilton Grand Vacations in Orlando to fire an employee who apparently was responsible for the post. Florida state officials, like the company, did not identify the man by name.
“Our concern regarding this situation has been a top priority,” a spokeswoman for Hilton Grand Vacations wrote in an email. “The person responsible for posting this information has been terminated. His behavior was in violation of multiple company policies and the furthest example from being a reflection of our company’s values.”
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Jack Campbell, the Second Judicial Circuit state attorney, said that an investigation is being conducted alongside the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and the FSU Police Department, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
Social media users identified the creator of the since-deleted post and called for his firing Monday morning. The original post also included the words “Believe in something even if it means sacrificing your rep.” The same account that tweeted the image also posted “I’m dead [expletive] serious. This is how far I’m willing to go to get rid of this clown!!!” according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Pursuing the social media user would be difficult, Campbell said.
“It’s hard for me to prosecute a Facebook post,” he said, according to the Democrat. “That’s why we’re working with our law enforcement partners to find out what the true facts are. Then I can make a determination of what charges are appropriate.”
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Campbell added that “any threat of violence to anybody in this community — he’s a father, a husband and a member of our community — we’re going to investigate it to the fullest extent possible.”
Florida State President John Thrasher condemned the post in a statement Sunday and offered his support for Taggart, saying: “A recent racist social media post aimed at our football coach is ignorant and despicable. I speak for the entire FSU community in expressing our disgust and extreme disappointment, and I am glad the state attorney is investigating. Coach Taggart has our full support, and as true Seminoles know, he is a respected member of the FSU family.”
Social media users found other posts from the same creator, in the same vein, directed at former Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith, who is now at Illinois. The man’s Facebook account was also traced to what appeared to be his LinkedIn account, which indicated that he worked for Hilton Grand Vacations in Orlando. Florida State fans then began asking the company to take action against the man, according to the Orlando Sentinel’s report.
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The Seminoles finished 5-7 in their first season under Taggart, 42, who previously coached at Oregon, South Florida and Western Kentucky.
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