It is becoming a pattern: The people most obsessed with racism and racial fairness turn out to have the most outrageously racist views the United States has seen in decades.
Now a Florida police chief has been fired after only about six months on the job, because of making decisions and statements that were flagrantly, almost proudly racist. Larry Scirotto, 48, who is also openly homosexual, became the subject of an investigation after several discrimination complaints that arose after he became Fort Lauderdale’s chief of police.
A news release from the city said the chief was fired by City Manager Chris Lagerbloom on March 3, reports WSVN in Miami.
The complaints centered on reports that Scirotto made decisions about hiring and promotion based first and foremost on people’s skin color.
Scirotto, a former assistant chief in Pittsburgh who is himself of a mixed-race background, is accused of unfairly focusing on minority candidates for jobs. The report noted that he once viewed a wall of photos in a conference room and referred to those pictured as “too white,” saying, “I’m gonna change that.”
On another occasion, when he was deciding between two candidates for a promotion, the investigation found that Scirotto asked “which one is blacker?” The report quoted Scirotto as saying he intended to “consider diversity at every opportunity” – that is, to base decisions on race and/or skin color instead of merit, logic, common sense or performance.
In its conclusion the report stated: “Overall, there is a very divisive atmosphere within the department based on the perception the chief is intentionally using race, gender and sexual orientation as attributes necessary for promotions. While the goal to diversify is an important and laudable goal it must be accomplished in a legally permissible manner.”
The department has appointed an interim police chief, Luis Alvarez. He is the fifth person to hold the position in about two years at the department, which has about 530 officers and 179 civilian employees.
