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9 NJ correctional officers’ termination over racist texts upheld

Over 5,700 texts routinely targeted co-workers, superiors, inmates “and blacks in general”

By C1 Staff

CAMDEN, NJ — A judge recently upheld the ruling to terminate nine correctional officers who were found to be exchanging racist texts on a smuggled cell phone inside the Camden County Jail.

The texts came to light in November 2014, and all the officers involved were terminated for “abhorrent conduct,” according to the Courier Post Online.

More than 5,700 texts, which were not shared with African-American officers, routinely targeted co-workers, superiors, inmates “and blacks in general,” according to the judge’s ruling.

The messages regularly used a variation of the n-word, including references to Warden David Owens, who is black, as “HNIC” or “head n- in charge.”

When officials initially learned of the texts messages, officers involved were immediately suspended without pay after learning of “this appalling conduct.”

One officer appealed his termination by saying that he “only” participated in 142 of the text messages, but Administrative Law Judge Sarah Crowley ruled that his dismissal “is not only warranted, but is essential.”

The officer also admitted to having a personal cell phone in a secure portion of the jail, arguing that his work-issued phone did not have good Internet access.

The judge responded by saying the officer had never received permission to bring his cell phone into the jail, and that he was aware cell phones were prohibited.

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