MOULTRIE, Ga. — The City of Moultrie placed a city employee on administrative leave for an offensive comment on his Facebook page. Mayor Bill McIntosh confirmed Thursday that the employee was Fire Chief Jeff Thibodeau.

According to a press release, Thibodeau posted the comment on Saturday, June 6. The post was a picture of George Floyd along with a list of sentences for previous offenses that Floyd had allegedly committed and implied that those offenses justified his death rather than the martyr status he has received from protesters. 

It is not clear whether the information in the image is correct. Online news sources confirmed Floyd served five years in prison for an armed robbery in Texas “more than a decade ago,” but the list of offenses on the image is more extensive.

Thibodeau wrote a caption for the image, which was apparently created by someone else. His caption read, “I’m just going to leave this right here. Don’t break the law and you’ll live to ses (see) another day.”

“Within minutes,” the city’s press release read, Thibodeau removed the post and replaced it with an apology. 

“I sincerely apologize for a post I shared this past weekend,” the new message read. “It was offensive, insensitive and unacceptable. I have spent the majority of my life protecting the lives and properties of all citizens. I am deeply sorry for adding to the pain suffered by all. I was wrong.” 

The post’s removal and subsequent apology was not quick enough, however, given that the city took notice that day.

“The post was insensitive and unacceptable, yet serves as a reminder to us, the City of Moultrie, that we should do our part to remain diligent in providing ongoing diversity training to our employees,” the city’s release read.

Thibodeau was placed on administrative leave that following Tuesday, June 9. McIntosh was asked to comment on the matter but directed questions toward City Manager Pete Dillard.

As it was a personnel matter, Dillard said it is under investigation.

“He’s still on leave and I feel like things will be resolved within 48 to 72 hours,” he said. “If anything happens, we’ll update the website.”

The city wants everything to be done correctly, Dillard said, in order to give Thibodeau his due process.

Dillard’s, McIntosh’s and all city councilmen’s phones have been ringing off the hook since at least Tuesday. Citizens began calling for Thibodeau’s permanent removal.

City Councilwoman Lisa Clarke Hill said to work for the city is to always strive for the trust of the citizens and, should they have an issue, work hard to solve the problem.

“When someone puts something like this out there, for people to have to trust us for their emergency needs and concerns, I don’t see what was the point of this. It was unprofessional,” she said.

She typed up her concern and sent it to McIntosh and Dillard. 

Throughout the week, she said, citizens called her saying “if this is really that person, like if that’s their account, I don’t feel like they would protect my home if it burned to the ground or if it caught fire.”

A comment like that hit her in the gut. She said of course no one would let their home just burn, but those were the calls she got. She still calls for Thibodeau’s due process though.

“We have to trust the people, like Pete Dillard and Marci Meadows, the human resource director, who we put in place to make the tough decisions,” she said.

The Moultrie Observer attempted to contact the other council members Thursday afternoon but has received no response as of that evening.