OCEANSIDE, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — Lawmakers and Long Island residents are calling for the Oceanside sanitation commissioner to resign after making several hate-filled Facebook posts.
According to Congresswoman Kathleen Rice, newly elected Oceanside Sanitation Commissioner Ryan Hemsley made vile posts on social media targeting a number of marginalized groups.
“It's just hate, hate, hate,” Rice said.
The Facebook posts attacked the Jewish community, the Muslim community, the LGBTQ community, the disabled, African Americans and women, according to State Sen. Todd Kaminsky.
“There are at least over 30 posts,” Kaminsky said. “Islamophobic, homophobic, racist – just some of the worst things you could see beginning with a Swastika.”
He notes some of the posts were too vulgar to repeat.
“There's nothing joking or funny about Jews in ovens, the Klan committing lynchings, anti-Semitic, homophobic, disgusting comments about our differently-abled community,” Kaminsky said.
Both he and Congresswoman Rice are calling for Hemsley to resign.
“It’s about not allowing this kind of hate, and this kind of violence to be perpetrated on social media by someone who holds a position of public trust in this community,” Rice said. “This guy has got to go, and he’s got to go as quickly as possible.”
Residents are also furious over the posts.
“He has posted jokes about Autistic individuals drowning in pools. He has posted jokes about individuals with Down Syndrome having to work in kitchens,” said Jonathan Brooks, who has Autism and lives in Oceanside.
Hemsley apologized on his public Facebook page, but said some of the posts were doctored.
“I would like to give my apologies to the entire Oceanside community for the horrific posts with my NAME on them from Facebook. I take responsibility for some of the posts that were made in public groups and inappropriate comments with friends, however other things that came from this anonymous packet were doctored, posts I was tagged in or don’t even include my names. Not once was any meme directed at anyone specific to offend them directly. I admit that my language on Facebook hasn’t been the best and I apologize for that,” the sanitation commissioner wrote.
The attorney for the sanitation commissioner and the board says they condemned the posts and have asked for Hemsley’s resignation.
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