A suspended Brooklyn court officer was hit with departmental charges Monday for allegedly posting images depicting the lynchings of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, union officials said.
Sgt. Terri Pinto Napolitano, an officer in Brooklyn Criminal Court, was suspended without pay and stripped of her gun and badge after posting doctored images on Facebook depicting the former president hanging from a rope, and the former secretary of state being walked to the gallows.
Titled “The True America,” the Obama photo reads “Your day is coming TRAITOR!”
The Clinton image says “IT’S NOT OVER TILL THE FAT LADY SWINGS.”
According to the state court officers union, she’s now been hit with departmental charges. The nature of the charges was unclear.
According to state court records, Napolitano is charged “with misconduct, and conduct prejudicial to the good order and efficiency” of the state court system, “which reflect adversely upon your fitness to continue in your position as a NYS Court Officer — Sergeant.”
She is subject to discipline or termination if found guilty of “any or all” of the charges against her, the document said.
Dennis Quirk, president of the New York State Court Officers Association on Monday called the Napolitano’s post “outrageous and unacceptable.”
In a statement, the union said it “does not condone the conduct of Sgt. Napolitano and her racist Facebook posts. She does not speak for Court Officers.”
Napolitano has not returned repeated calls for comment.
The Facebook post drew the ire of the state’s chief judge on Saturday, who called it “abhorrent.”
“This conduct is abhorrent, by anyone, at any time, and under any circumstances,” Judge Janet DeFiore wrote. “But at this critical moment in our history — when our nation is reeling from the death of George Floyd and its aftermath — it is a sickening and unpardonable offense against every college in our court system, as well as the vast and diverse public we serve.”