Officials at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago said they have taken “prompt action” after receiving several complaints about an employee’s Facebook post.
The post, which is pretty much all over Facebook, shows a young Black woman wearing what appears to be a Brookfield Zoo uniform with the comment, “At work serving these rude ass white people.”
The photo is presumed to have been taken at one of the zoo’s concession stands.
Brookfield Zoo spokeswoman Sondra Katzen called the employee’s actions “unacceptable.”
“This employee’s statements in social media are in violation of our policies and do not reflect our institution’s values. We have zero tolerance for these kinds of divisive behaviors. We treat all employment matters confidentially, but rest assured that we have taken prompt action to remedy the situation,” she told CBS 2.
The user who posted the photo, Shana Poohpooh Latrice, has since deactivated her Facebook page. Brookfield Zoo’s page on the other hand, was flooded with complaints about the post.
Several Facebook users said the post was clearly hateful and racist, vowing to not return to the zoo unless the employee was fired.
“We hope you continue to hold Brookfield Zoo in high regard and not let the actions of one individual overshadow the longstanding good work of the Chicago Zoological Society,” Katzen said.
While it was in very poor taste to put up the post, is it really racist?
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