West Virginia Governor Jim Justice has approved a recommendation for the termination of over two dozen Corrections Academy trainees after the widespread dissemination of a group photo showing the individuals doing a Nazi salute.
Dozens of West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) Academy trainees are expected to be terminated, and several other employees of the facility will likely be disciplined, following a Monday press release from the state’s governor.
Earlier this month, Sputnik reported that more than 30 individuals of the DCR Academy’s Basic Training Class Number 18 had been photographed doing a straight-armed salute popularized as a sign of obedience to Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany and used today by active fascist and white supremacist groups. The image, taken during a class conducted between October 21 and November 27, quickly became the subject of an investigation by the West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety.
The caption – “Hail Byrd!” – references the cadets’ instructor.
Initial reports from officials stated that 34 trainees, two training instructors and one cadet were recommended for termination for their actions in the picture, but a final number was not provided in Justice’s Monday release or the cabinet secretary’s report. Another four instructors who are “known to have seen the photograph but failed to report its content” were recommended for suspension without pay.
Sandy noted that even though the cadets claimed “they feared they would not graduate, or would be disciplined for failure to follow the order of a superior” if they did not salute, they still performed the move.
“Nonetheless, their conduct, without question, has also resulted in the far-reaching and harmful perceptions that are the antithesis of the values we strive to attain,” the secretary said.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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