When writing an email (and just in general), it's probably best to keep your ideologies and racist comments out of messages because they will come back to haunt you. A Pennsylvania police chief has learned the hard way after resigning just one week after being sworn-in over a leaked email that contained a racial slur.
Thomas Burke, the police chief of the City of Farrell in Pennsylvania, resigned after one of his emails leaked. Although Burke had good intentions in his email, like asking the community of Sharon, Pa. for donations to send books to a local organization, he wrote a racial slur. Back in April, Burke was asking for small donations of $1, and in the email subject line he wrote, "Them Sharon n****s gotta learn how to read."
At first, Farrell Mayor Olive McKeithan, who is black, toldWKBN that she "stands behind" Burke, but she immediately changed her mind after receiving backlash. According to the Sharon Herald, McKeithan called Burke to discuss his position, "I asked him if he would step down because I thought it would be best for the community."
After being sworn-in on Nov. 17, Burke was expected to start his new position in early January, but he decided to step down. Burke made a public apology at a live press conference, "To everybody here, to everybody out there, my deepest– I cannot tell you, from the bottom of my heart, I'm truly sorry. I apologize deeply."
