By Rhonda Cook
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
BARROW COUNTY, Ga. - A captain with the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office saw his career begin to unravel a few weeks ago after he posted comments about President Obama on his personal Facebook page, using terms such as “towel headed” and “camel jockey.”
First, then-Capt. Lewis Rusgrove was suspended for 10 days. Then other employees told Sheriff Jud Smith that Rusgrove, assistant commander of the criminal investigation division, also had said “some disparaging” things to them that made them uncomfortable and could put the office’s objectivity in question.
On Thursday, Rusgrove resigned after Smith went over the findings of an internal investigation into co-workers’ complaints.
“I believe in his right to free speech,” Smith told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday.
But Rusgrove had identified himself as a Barrow County Sheriff’s captain at the top of his page and also in the CID, Smith noted. That made it an issue and earned him the suspension, the sheriff said.
The review of complaints by co-workers found that some comments could have been misinterpreted, but others should never had been made, Smith said. “After telling [Rusgrove] the findings, he chose to tender his resignation,” he said.
Rusgrove did not respond to telephone messages Friday, but after his suspension he wrote a letter to the sheriff saying his comments were political and not based in hatred. He also said his suspension was excessive and violated his right to express political views away from work.
The comment thread on Facebook began as a discussion about “gas being $6 a gallon this summer, and he called the Democratic Party ‘damocrats,’ ” Smith said. “He referenced our president as a camel jockey and made reference to African-Americans backing their president. He referred to gays, baby killers and potheads not blaming President Obama for the gas prices.”
Smith said he learned of the postings when someone anonymously slid an envelope under his office door containing a printout of the page.
“Law enforcement officers are held to a higher standard,” Smith said. “We don’t want them [the public] to wonder if we’re biased. ... Nothing you do on the Internet is private.”