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Ohio firefighter resigns after Facebook post with N-word

Posted at 1:47 PM, Sep 18, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-19 11:09:28-04

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WCPO) -- A firefighter in Franklin Township, Ohio who posted a racial slur on his Facebook page saying he'd save a dog over a black person has resigned, according to The Journal-News.

Tyler Roysdon submitted his resignation late Monday night, township officials told the newspaper, after his racially charged comment got him suspended on Sept. 12.

Roysdon’s since-deleted Facebook post has made national news. He purportedly stated that, given the choice, he would save a dog before a black person -- posting “one dog is worth a million” and then using the N-word.

Before his resignation, Middletown NAACP chapter president Dora Bronston called for Roysdon to be fired, saying a firefighter's job is "to be there for every person that calls on your help."

"This person is 20 years old - apparently not mature enough to be a firefighter," Bronston said. "We trust those people with our lives to protect us, to keep us safe our families safe, and we don't want them to put us in harm's way."

Without authority to fire Roysdon, Township Fire Chief Steve Bishop had placed Roysdon on indefinite suspension pending a disciplinary hearing. Township trustees had scheduled a disciplinary hearing for Roysdon for Sept. 27.