The Bethel School District has fired first-year wrestling coach Dave Hollenbeck for mocking the tragic death of George Floyd on Facebook, KOMO News reports. "His behavior was not consistent with our equity initiatives and nondiscrimination policies," a school spokesperson said in a statement.
The post shows Hollenbeck lying on the ground giving a thumbs up gesture with a smile on his face as someone has their knee pressed against his neck, similar to the position that Floyd was held in by a white officer before losing consciousness, and dying soon after.
"Not dead yet I’m doing this for Are police officers the media is a race baiting machine and I’m tired of it I’m going to speak out every time if you don’t like that I’m sorry but I love All people..Wake up America," he wrote in the first caption of his post.
Hollenbeck later posted a poorly-written revision, stating, "This is for all the race baiters and people that don’t What they’re talking about when they’re saying this could kill you."
Hollenbeck told KOMO News that he eventually realized his post was "insensitive," explaining that he was trying to defend the Minneapolis police officer’s violence. His apology started the same way as Amy Cooper’s earlier this week following her Central Park exchange with Christian Cooper, with the proclamation that he’s not racist.
"I'm not a racist man," Hollenbeck said. "I don’t have that in me, my children don’t have that in them, I didn’t instill that in them. I’m sorry that I offended anybody, that was not my point. I was trying to show something."
People seem to think otherwise about his "I'm not a racist" stance.
