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Texas Firefighter Terminated Over Racist Facebook Post

A volunteer firefighter in Texas who posted an offensive comment about the recent murder of nine African Americans in Charleston, South Carolina on the Facebook page of a South Carolina newspaper, has been summarily terminated from his fire department.

Kurtis Cook was terminated by the Mabank Fire Department after posting that murder suspect Dylann Roof “needs to be praised for the good deed he has done.” People who were upset with the post shared it through social media asking others to join them in demanding the Mabank Fire Department terminate Cook.

Last Friday, the Mabank Fire Department released the following statement:

As of 1123 hrs, after an investigation in the allegations being made of Firefighter Kurtis Cook, the Mabank Fire Department Command Staff has terminated Kurtis Cook as a volunteer Firefighter permanently and has trespassed him from all Mabank Fire Department property. The Mabank Fire Department does not condone nor promote these type of actions or thoughts. On behalf of all members, the Mabank Fire Department offers our deepest apologies to all that were offended by his actions and comments.

More on the story.

Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 50 years of fire service experience and 40 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. Besides his law degree, he has a MS in Forensic Psychology. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.

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4 Comments

  1. Seems like the department handled a potentially VERY messy situation promptly, professionally, competently, and correctly.

  2. Well, I think we all send something off in an email, only to find out there is a mis-spelled word or not punctuated properly afterwards.

    But, WE are all responsible for “Proof Reading” what and how we write.

    Now, it seems a few “important words” were missing from Mr. Kurtis Cooks’ message.

    To me and plenty of others it looks like his attempted “re-statement” is a “No Sale”,
    Not accepted by anyone.

    That includes me.

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