‘Hateful Behavior’: 12 Houston Fire Academy Cadets Fired Days Before Graudation for Sharing Racist Memes On Social Media Even After Warning, Costs the City $1.2 Million
After they were discovered to have shared racist memes in a private Instagram group, 12 cadets about to be Houston firefighters were given a second chance, partly due to the high cost of training them.
They were ordered to repeat anti-discrimination and anti-harassment training and remained on track for graduation from the eight-month training program. But when officials discovered the group resumed even after they were warned to disband it, they decided the cadets had to go.
The would-be firefighters learned their fate on April 18, just six days before they were to graduate, according to sources who spoke to ABC 13 in Houston.
The dismissals will cost the department about $1.2 million, as a full academy course costs approximately $100,000 per cadet, according to the city’s cost analysis.
The decision came following investigations by the Houston Fire Department’s Professional Standards Division and the City’s Office of Inspector General.
In a written statement, Fire Chief Thomas Munoz said the cadets’ behavior gave them little choice. Specifics related to the content of the memes has not been disclosed.
“HFD was made aware of behavior by a group of 12 cadets, who were not yet sworn members of the Department, that is inconsistent with the code of conduct,” Munoz wrote.
“Racism and hateful behavior have no home in Mayor Whitmire’s administration or the Houston Fire Department,” Munoz continued.
The department was tipped off about the group by another cadet in the most recent graduating class.
“Regrettable and very disappointing,” said Houston City Council Member Julian Ramirez, who sits on the Public Safety Committee. “The city has invested so much money in these cadets and then they made mistakes, were warned about it and continued on their course of action and had to be fired.”
“Absolutely, $1.2 million could pay for a lot of things we need,” added Ramirez when asked about the city’s tight budget.
The councilman wants the city to explore possible legal avenues to reclaim training costs when these and other cases of misconduct arise. Houston had been losing hundreds of cadets the city had trained to higher-paying municipalities prior to a recently approved contract agreement, according to the local fire union.
“There should be a mechanism for the city to recoup its investment when the cadet messes up in that fashion,” Ramirez said.
Last Thursday, graduation ceremonies were held for the incoming Houston firefighters. It was a smaller class than usual, with only 50 new recruits receiving their certification.