Rushville Sheriff calls someone "fag jew boy" on facebook; Mayor defends his "opinion"

[olkaz]

http://www.facebook.com/cityofrushville

I don't have a screenshot of Sheriff Don Schieferdecker's comment on facebook, but the allegation is that he called somebody "fag jew boy". The folks in Rushville, IL are justifiably pissed off, and took their displeasure to the mayor's facebook page. Unfortunately, mayor Scott Thompson refuses to hold Don Schieferdecker accountable, and what's worse, offered a perverse justification for the Sheriff's comments.

Mayor's comments:
"As for Don being my friend, he is my friend and that was done as full disclosure. My intent is not to get into a match with anyone but I do have personal beliefs that I'm willing to defend in public. I also believe that elected officials can still have opinions, popular or not. Thank you sharing your comments."
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150110462591176&comments

I'd like to draw attention to this story, if anybody knows anybody in the media. This is a really awful example of antisemitism and homophobia, and it sounds like the mayor is pretty much aiding and abetting.

[Dogtown]

1. Recommended

How damn awful is it that public officials feel comfortable and safe exposing their most disgusting inner prejudices so publicly?

What has become of our country? This is a return to 1950s sanctioned racism and homophobia and is entirely unacceptable.

[rfranklin]

2. It has always been there and one reason the right wingers are angry...

is because since the 1960s they have been told they are wrong to have those "opinions" and told they can't openly express them. They are just feeling more enabled with the recent explosion of right wing craziness.

[Ian David]

3. He has problems with the "language" used. What a fucking douchebag. n/t

[Ian David]

4. The mayor invited people to a meeting to enlighten him about it

Andrew and John, I invite you to meet me at 10 am at city hall on Saturday morning to help me understand my shortcomings on this issue. Perhaps you can enlighten me.

I wonder if that meeting is open to the public?

[olkaz]

6. it's the condescending language that gets me

Look, the Sheriff is fucked. He is a bigoted asshole, and when you post something like this publicly, the jig is up. For the mayor to act condescending to those offended, to me, is basically saying that he agrees with the sheriff.

I don't live close enough to do anything about this, it was a friend who notified me about it. Does anybody have any advice? Is this egregious enough to get news involved?

[Ian David]

7. Well, I posted it on Twitter. I could send it directly to a few people. n/t

[olkaz]

8. Thanks! :)

Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and it certainly appears Rushville is infected.

[Historic NY]

9. What did you expect its RUSH///

:hide:

[cullen7282]

5. Not far from where I grew up

and I can't say I'm surprised. Cops in that area are very closed minded.

[RHF11588]

10. Story covered by CopLeaks

Hey guys,

I just saw that this story is being covered in more detail on www.copleaks.com. They have the screenshot too!

[Ian David]

21. Thanks! n/t

[joeybee12]

11. Ignorance is not an opinion; bigotry is not a point of view...nt

[Ian David]

12. I believe GottaLaff from Political Carnival is looking into it now. n/t

[olkaz]

13. Great! nt

[Ian David]

14. She just told me she's swamped with stuff, and it would help if we could get her more info.

I've gotta run out for a dentist appointment.

Would you mind following-up with her please?

Also, I sent the link to Thom Hartmann and The Southern Poverty Law Center.

[olkaz]

15. I'm not sure what I would tell her that isn't in the OP

I really don't have much else :shrug:

[Ian David]

16. We need to find the original quote and a screenshot, for one thing.

I'll start looking.

[olkaz]

17. Look no further

It was earlier in the thread, figured you saw it already.
http://www.copleaks.com/?p=106

[Ian David]

20. Good work. Thanks! That's even more offensive that I expected it would be. Geesh. n/t

[Ian David]

18. Here's his page, but I doubt he'll friend me back so I can see it...

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001685766542&sk=wall

[olkaz]

23. Try This:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=501563172&sk=wall

The Sheriff put the offending remarks on this guy's wall. It is still there, with at least one other offensive remark.

[Ian David]

24. Thanks! n/t

[Ian David]

19. Schuyler sheriff regrets Facebook posts

March 25, 2011 5:46 AM
JAKE RUSSELL

This story contains references some readers might find offensive. It is included so readers can draw their own conclusions about the situation.

A west-central Illinois sheriff says he regrets an online comment in which he used what he acknowledged was off-color humor in a public posting on a co-worker’s social networking page.

The posting, in which Schuyler County Sheriff Don Scheiferdecker made a comment that included the phrase “little fag Jew boy” about another co-worker’s photo, was meant to be private.

<snip>

Schieferdecker said he made the comment after returning home from a long work night of trying to find anhydrous thieves. He posted it to the Facebook page of a dispatcher, who had used the slang word for a homosexual under the picture of another dispatcher.

More:
http://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/sheriff-32330-readers-regrets.html

[olkaz]

22. Why is "in jest" okay?

That was a **really** softball article. Wow.

[GodlessBiker]

25. Here's his website/picture of him. I could say a lot of things, but being a good Christian woman, ..

I can't bring myself to say them (as Auntie Em might say).

http://www.angelfire.com/theforce/schuyler_co_sheriff/hello.htm

[Occulus]

28. "YOU CAN CONTACT US HERE 24 HOURS A DAY"

Sheriff’s Office Dispatch ******************* 217-322-4366

Sheriff’s Office Toll Free Number************* 1-888-663-5529

All Emergencies ,Police, Fire and Medical ***** 911

Sheriff's County Crime Stoppers************217-322-3326

[olkaz]

26. Thanks to everyone who sent emails on this: It is getting attention now.

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/25/illinois-sheriff-admits-ethnic-gender-slur-on-facebook/

It's nice to see a small rural town fighting back against these elements.

Unfortunately, it doesn't even look like the guy is going to get a slap on the wrist.

[Ian David]

27. Rushville, IL Sheriff calls co-worker “fag jew boy” on Facebook; Mayor defends his “opinion”

Rushville, IL Sheriff calls co-worker “fag jew boy” on Facebook; Mayor defends his “opinion”Rushville, IL Sheriff calls co-worker “fag jew boy” on Facebook; Mayor defends his “opinion”
Posted on Friday, March 25, 2011 by GottaLaff

Online slurs are not only idiotic, ignorant, and hurtful, they are contagious. The more often they are posted, the more they encourage others, making it easier for more people to hop on the ugly bandwagon. Social networks are full of vile name-calling, because apparently, the cowards who post them feel like they’re somehow anonymous, and therefore unaccountable, as long as they hide behind their computers. That’s some sick power trip.

In fact, I’ve endured a fair amount of bullying and nastiness myself, and I find it disgusting and bizarre that anyone gets off on it the way they all seem to.

<snip>

Well, as long as he only joked like a vile bigot in private and knew it would be taken as “harmless teasing”, then what’s the problem? Public bigotry on the other hand… now that’s bad.

The sheriff has regrets… that he got caught.

More:
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2011/03/25/rushville-il-sheriff-calls-co-worker-fag-jew-boy-on-facebook-mayor-defends-his-opinion/

[SybilonXanex]

29. Please look into

For more information on the corruption in this part of Illinois - check out http://crimecrawlers.wordpress.com

There are a lot of cover-ups in this area, and local media just repeats whatever LE tells them to report, with very little investigation. CC has done much to make people in that area re-assess their authorities. They are realizing that they are indeed part of a bigger world and shit like this is just wrong...................

[RyanPsych]

30. How is that

a valid "opinion" for somehow whose job it is to protect the citizens? Elected officials can have opinions, yes- but being openly homophobic and anti-semitic, while in a position of leadership...how is the public supposed to take him (or the mayor) seriously? What a bunch of asshats

[Ian David]

31. Illinois Sheriff Apologizes For 'Fag Jew Boy' Facebook Comment

Illinois Sheriff Apologizes For 'Fag Jew Boy' Facebook Comment

Schuyler County, Illinois sheriff Don Schieferdecker apparently only recently joined Facebook and is already in trouble over one of his comments on a friend's photo. The comment was posted on a photo of a man, a friend of the sheriff said: "Yup and his mouth is open, his glasses are off, he's ready, little fag Jew boy." It has since been deleted.

The mayor of the city of Rushville, which is the county seat, Scott Thompson, issued a statement about the incident:

"I've been asked by many to make a statement regarding the remarks the sheriff made on a Facebook page earlier this week. Don is my friend but I will not speak to his heart or thoughts. I do however want to speak to my responsibility as mayor. I do not condone language which conveys discrimination or prejudice due to race, gender, sexual orientation, religion or national origin. Such language would reflect poorly upon the individual and the community."

Schieferdecker's originally explained the use of the slur as "just pissing with (a friend)."

The Civil Rights Agenda has called for Schieferdecker to resign:

More:
http://www.towleroad.com/2011/03/illinois-sheriff.html



http://crimecrawlers.wordpress.com/2011/03/26/sheriff-schieferdecker-apologizes-to-little-fag-jew-boys/

[Iggo]

32. Name-calling is not an opinion.

[Initech]

33. You'd think people would learn by now that there's no take-backs on Facebook.