A Summit volunteer firefighter has come under fire for posting allegedly racist social media posts, with one town official vowing action hours before Tuesday’s town council meeting.
Screen shots of three since-deleted Facebook posts from Rob Ratcliffe includes two racially offensive memes and a first-hand account of his visit to a local restaurant in October in which he calls a young Black child a “baboon.”
Ricky Kato Ramsey brought the posts to light, and posted screenshots of them on Facebook.
“Town of Summit, is this what you have working as a volunteer fireman?” Ramsey wrote. “He is racist and we don’t need him going to a black person burning house acting like he putting out a fire and watching it burn!”
Summit Town Councilman Chris Daniels said he was aware of the posts and planned to address it at Tuesday evening’s Summit town council meeting.
“I have seen the post made by one of our volunteer firefighters in our great Town of Summit,” Daniels said in a Facebook post. “Those comments have no place in our society.
“These issues will be addressed at our scheduled board meeting tonight @5:30 at the Summit Town Hall. We must continue to love one another in spite of.
“Thank you for bringing the issues that plague our great town to my attention.”
Rep. Daryl Porter, D-Summit, who previously served on the town council before being elected to the Legislature, said he has been in contact with town officials about the issue as well.
“I’ve seen the disgusting social media post made by Rob Ratcliffe. I have spoken with our elected officials in the Town of Summit. The matter will be addressed at tonight’s board meeting,” Porter said.
Former Magnolia Mayor Anthony Witherspoon, who goes by the name Kofi Asante in his Facebook profile, also weighed in.
“Facebook will put you in jail for pettiness, but allow Rob Ratcliffe to snap and post a picture calling a black baby a baboon,” he wrote. “Hold Facebook responsible too. #lawsuit”
After a whirlwind of attention on social media, Ratcliffe issued a statement on Facebook.
“I am making this post for several reasons. 1 is for the young child I posted a picture of and the mother of the child and the Black community. I now know how a picture and lack of thought and judgment can affect a person’s life,” he wrote. “I’m not a racist person by no means and respect everyone equally.”
Ratcliffe wrote that he has a “weird sense of humor” but he didn’t mean to offend anyone.
“I know we all live in this world together and have to rely on one another through thick and thin,” he wrote. “We are all neighbors and I sincerely apologize for the posts I have made in any derogatory manner. I am sorry. I apologize to everyone and assure you it will never happen again.”
