IDOC, police department issue statement on ‘inflammatory’ Facebook posts

CENTRAL ILLINOIS (WCIA) — Two Illinois agencies have issued statements about offensive comments made on social media Thursday.

The Illinois Department of Corrections issued a statement announcing a correctional officer has been placed on administrative leave after they made an offensive Facebook post.

“The Department has been made aware of social media posting on Facebook made earlier today. The Department is conducting an internal investigation. CO Angeli has been advised of his administrative leave, effective immediately. The Illinois Department of Corrections is a multicultural agency deeply committed to ensuring diversity, equality, and inclusion. We want to be clear: the comments made by this individual do not reflect the principles and standards of the Department. We apologize to anyone affected by these remarks and reaffirm our commitment to upholding policies and practices conducive to eliminating all forms of exclusion, including, but not limited to, racism, ageism, ableism, sexism, discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, and religious oppression. We will continue to educate and engage our team on the importance of environments where all feel valued, respected, and included.”

Illinois Department of Corrections

The Sherman Police Department also alerted the public of a former resident making an offensive post.

“Sherman Police are aware of an inflammatory social media post related to the Sonya Massey shooting by a subject who no longer resides in Sherman,” officials wrote on Facebook. “For those following this thread, please be aware that the current residents have no association with the author of this post.”

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