(NECN) - The Boston police Department today announced it had fired a third-year officer for writing and sending a racially charged email to colleagues and others about the arrest of Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. last July.
According to a copy of the email released by the Boston Globe in July 2009, the email referred to the scholar as a "jungle monkey", and criticized media reports of Gates' arrest as overly sympathetic to Gates.
Barrett was suspended after the email became public, and was terminated after a disciplinary hearing two weeks ago, according to police officials.
The text of the written announcement from the Boston Police Department on the case is below.
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Today Police Commissioner Edward Davis terminated Police Officer Justin Barrett for violating Department Rules when Barrett sent a racially offensive email to many individuals, including members of the Department and the Boston Globe, on July 22, 2009.
After a thorough internal affairs investigation, Barrett was afforded a disciplinary hearing before the Department Hearings Officer on January 19, 2010. As a result of the hearing, where Barrett was given an opportunity to present evidence on his behalf, five charges were sustained by the Hearings Officer. As a result, the Police Commissioner determined that termination was the appropriate disciplinary action, and Barrett was given notice of his termination.
The following violations were sustained against Officer Barrett: Rule 102, 3 (Conduct), 4(Judgment), 9 (Respectful Treatment), 23 (Truthfulness), and Rule 113, 5 (Public Integrity/Cannon of Ethics-Number eight) of the Rules and Procedures of the Boston Police Department.
Police Commissioner Davis stated, The Boston Police Department is committed to a standard of excellence. After a thorough investigation of this matter, it is evident that Officer Barretts actions do not comply with that standard. Given the egregious nature of his actions and its effect on our community, I strongly believe that the only appropriate discipline is termination. I commend the officers who voiced their disapproval of Officer Barretts actions. Our department has a top to bottom commitment to community policing, which is founded in trust. We will not allow the actions of one to damage the community relationships that are essential to our mission to serve the citizens of Boston.
36 year old Officer Barrett was appointed to the Boston Police Department in June 2007. His termination is effective Friday, February 5, 2010.
