Politics

Firefighter fired for installing Barack Obama toilet paper in firehouse bathroom

Font Size:

A Florida firefighter is out of a job after putting toilet paper with President Barack Obama’s face in his fire department’s bathroom.

Clint Pierce, who admitted placing the Obama toilet paper in the restroom as a “gag,” had until 5:00 p.m. Friday to turn in his badge after the city of Pompano Beach, Fla. determined his joke was a disrespectful repeat offense, according to a report from the Sun Sentinel.

The Oct. 19 incident marked the third time Pierce brought political props onto city property, after he was told to stop.

“It was clearly a case of insubordination,” city spokeswoman Sandra King said Friday, according to the paper. “He had a similar situation of posting political messages on city property and he was given a free pass at that time and told to cease and desist and he did it again and really exacerbated the situation.”

Fire Chief Harry L. Small determined that Pierce’s actions showed “tasteless and disrespectful treatment” of President Obama and “caused significant divisiveness within the department and community.”

And according to activists who came to a City Commission meeting Tuesday, his actions were racist and offensive, the Sun Sentinel reported.

Small concluded in a Nov. 20 memo, however, that he “found no evidence to indicate that Pierce’s actions were racially motivated, but rather they were politically motivated.”

Toilet paper with former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s face, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s face, and and others are readily available online.

Pierce, a firefighter since 1993, reportedly apologized, but to no avail.

“Your apology for your actions is appreciated, but does little to undo the widespread damage to the reputation of the city and the fire department organization,” Small responded.

Follow Caroline on Twitter