Deputy Joshua Fite has been suspended without pay after he appeared in a TikTok that is being called homophobic and insensitive.
Sheriff's deputy is off the job after appearing in a controversial parody video about sexual orientation that was posted on social media that has gone viral...viewed more than 900-thousand times.
The sheriff's office calls the video degrading and demeaning.
Abc 36's christy bollinger has the details.
Christy"the jessamine county sheriff's office says deputy joshua fite has been suspended without pay because of a video he appeared in on social media.
The video was posted to tiktok and has been called homophobic and degrading to the lgbtg community."
Chris hartman-fariness campaign"this is outright premeditated discrimination."
This is the video.
Deputy fite is in uniform.
The other man seen in the video is not affiliated with the sheriff's office - deputy fite tells the man about a pair of "magic crocs" bought.
When the deputy was asked what made them magical..
His repsonse... video "if you put them on you turn gay."
When the man puts them on..he is then seen in makeup and women's clothes.
Chris hartman with kentucky's lgbtq advocacy organization...the fairness campaign...was in disbelief... and says the deputy should be fired.
Hartman" as an lgbtq person i would never call the jessamine county sheriff's office knowing someone like this is on the force."
Hartman says the sheriff made the right call suspending the deputy.
But others on social media think differently.
This comment on the sheriff's office facebook post about the suspension... reads "what he does in his personal life is his businesss.
To even address it is ridiculous, personally i think it violates his rights."
And another commenting "this is ridiculous.
Suspended without pay?
He has a family.
The video was funny... maybe he shouldn't have been in uniform but still.
Cut the guy some slack."
Hartman"it's bad enough he did it but to do it in the official capacity to wear the jessamine county sheriff's office uniform to appear as an offficer for something that's anti-lgbtq it's unconsciousable."
"christy"the sheriff's office is doing an internal investigation and says the video in no way represents the office and its staff.
In jessamine county, christy bollinger, abc 36 news."
Deputy fite did post an apology video...claiming he didn't write the script.
That video, like the parody piece, has been deleted.
Regarding the argument that what people post online on their personal pages is their own business...most government agenices...like sheriffs offices...have polices covering social media actions.
The courts have ruled those policies are accetpable, in most cases, because employee behavior sheds light on the entire organization and can call into question judgement and bias....and in our society...some people because of their job or position...are held to a higher standard and as a result, forfeit some personal liberties.
Ots image:right stabbing arrest knife.jpg one person
A Jessamine county Sheriff's Deputy has resigned over a homophobic viral TIkTok.