White employee admits to putting paper noose near black coworker's space
A government employee has been suspended pending an investigation of a "hate crime" he confessed to targeting a black coworker, according to a report published Friday.
"We have been told that employee has been placed on administrative leave, which is not an appropriate response to a self-confessed hate crime," Executive Director Greg Murray of the Michigan Advocacy Coalition said to reporters following his coalition's call for the employee's termination and prosecution after the alleged misconduct.
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According to the Macomb Daily, Juvenile Justice Center employee Andrea Brown was the target of racially charged taunting after she returned from her lunch break to find a noose made out of toilet paper and tape hanging behind her chair, reports say .
After Brown reported the offense to her supervisor, her department launched an investigation looking into the incident.
Fast forward two months, Brown received a letter from her department notifying her that the investigation had concluded. "Based upon this investigation, the County was unable to corroborate a violation of County policy; however an unprofessional exchange did occur," Service Director Karen Bathanti said in a statement.
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Unsatisfied with the results, Brown contacted Murray, who joined her in filing a criminal complaint reporting the incident at the sheriff's department.
Their efforts soon met with the FBI's involvement on Mar. 3, which led to a county employee being placed on administrative leave after confessing to leaving the racial taunt for her to find.
However, Brown and Murray remain discontent with the department's actions with the employee.
"We find it perplexing and outrageous that the person who committed this heinous hate crime has not yet been fired and charged with a hate crime," Murray said.
"We want this person to feel the full weight and power of the prosecutorial process. We are asking the Justice Department to review this hate crime. There should be zero tolerance for this horrible act of intimidation," Brown added.
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Mark Dedin, Macomb County Deputy Executive, responded, explaining, "Even though he admitted guilt, before we discipline or prosecute him we want the investigation to be complete."
"The Executive's Office takes a complete zero tolerance approach to any type of intimidation or harassment in the workplace and encourages anyone to come forward," Deldin said after adding that there had also "been no problems with him in the past."
