The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Oakland, Calif., schools police Chief Pete Sarna is accused of launching a boozy barrage of racial slurs at an African-American sergeant as they drove home from a charity golf tournament retreat. The district is conducting a confidential personal investigation of his conduct:
The district is looking into accusations that the chief, who is white, let loose July 18 with a half-hour tirade loaded with racist epithets against his two sergeants and a police driver — who apparently was called to the event at the Sequoyah Country Club in Oakland so no one would be driving drunk.
Sarna allegedly told the African American sergeant, who lives in Orinda, that "the only good n- is a dead n- and they should hang you in the town square to prevent any other n- from coming in the area."
The second sergeant, who is white, filed a complaint against Sarna with the district. The sergeant's attorney, Joe O'Sullivan, said the chief had invited his underlings to join him at the event.
"The three witnesses gave the same story. There is no question as to how it happened," O'Sullivan said.
Sounds like the investigation shouldn't be too difficult. If the allegations are true, this is one story that doesn't require the old "Was it racist or was it just a thoughtless and insensitive slip of the tongue?" treatment. And it's even more troubling considering that just this week, protests are under way in response to police brutality against black men by members of Oakland's police department.
Anyone who holds the views Sarna is accused of expressing — regardless of whether alcohol was involved — shouldn't be allowed within shouting distance of Oakland kids and certainly doesn't belong in the role of the highest law-enforcement authority in their schools.
Read more at the San Francisco Chronicle.
In other news: VIDEO: Chappelle Talks About Getting Booed.