Tuesday, August 29, 2006

White supremacist KKK state trooper gets job back

SERIOUS. BLACK. EYE. FOR. NEBRASKA.
Seattle PI
OMAHA, Neb. -- Robert Henderson was not fired as a state trooper because he belonged to the Ku Klux Klan and another white supremacist group, authorities said. Instead, he was ousted because he could not uphold public trust while participating in such groups, they said.

An arbitrator disagreed, ordering the State Patrol to reinstate Henderson within 60 days and pay him back wages. The state went to court Friday to keep him off the force.

"The integrity of Nebraska's law enforcement is at risk," Attorney General Jon Bruning said at news conference in Lincoln. "The Constitution does not require law enforcement to employ anyone tied to the KKK."

In a summary of the causes for firing Henderson in March, the State Patrol said membership in the KKK "seriously compromised" Henderson's ability to do his job.

Henderson and the state troopers union appealed and, under its contract, went to binding arbitration, to get his job back.

Arbitrator Paul J. Caffera, a New York lawyer, last week overturned the firing...

5 comments:

Aunty Belle said...

Jes' came by ter say I'se pelased ter see ya on the Back Porch. Take care in the storm...

The Merry Widow said...

Amen to that!

tmw

Jerry McClellan said...

Question: What if this guy was Black and a member of the New Black Panther Party? Would there still be a conflict?

Personally, I don't believe he should be fired for being a member of the KKK. Freedom of association comes to mind here. Not to mention, has there been any proof that his affiliation with these groups has somehow hindered his job performance in serving the public interest?

Jerry McClellan said...

Or what if he were Mexican and a member of MeCHa? Or La Raza?

Purple Avenger said...

has there been any proof that his affiliation with these groups has somehow hindered his job performance in serving the public interest?

How do you put his on the stand as a credible witness?