Durham mayor responds to police chief's alleged social media post on Charlie Kirk after his death
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Mayor of Durham, Leo Williams, spoke to ABC11 about Police Chief Patrice Andrews allegedly making highly charged statements on her personal social media account in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination.
The City of Durham released a statement saying it is aware of a personal social media post made by Chief Andrews.
The post was made on the Chief's personal account and not on any official City or Police Department platform.
"We are reviewing the matter to determine whether any City policies were violated."
The mayor said he spoke with the chief, telling ABC11 that there is a responsibility that comes with this position.
"We as public servants. We do have to be aware of our verbiage, whether it's in our personal capacity or not. And sometimes, we are human. Sometimes we make that mistake. The chief did not do this; I spoke to her personally; her intent was not to create outrage. It was her expressing her personal views within her own personal network; however, she's the chief of police, and it affects the residents of Durham if they are interpreting it as such." Williams said.
The mayor says the city has not decided on any disciplinary actions for the chief as of this moment.
The criticism of Andrews' post comes amid a broader reckoning across the country over free speech and what's protected on social media. Nationwide, major companies such as Delta Airlines and the Carolina Panthers have fired employees in the last week because of their controversial comments made after the killing of Kirk, an influential conservative leader.
ABC11 spoke on Monday with Jeff Hirsch, a law professor with UNC specializing in labor and employment law, who said in most situations, private sector employers can fire you for any reason - including "off-duty" conduct.
"You cannot expect to be protected in the most, most instances in the private sector. Generally speaking, the sort of default rule is what's called employment at will, which means you can get fired or quit for any reason at all," he said.
Hirsch said public sector or government employees generally have more leeway in what they can say or post, but that it depends on a variety of factors, including how disruptive the comments are and what position they hold.
"Police officers, firefighters, in addition to teachers, are positions that I think courts are a little more tolerant of employers punishing for speech," he said.
On Monday night, some people in Durham expressed concern about Andrews' post. Christina Crosby is a longtime Durham resident active in conservative politics. She took a screenshot of the post when she saw it last week and told ABC11 that she doesn't think it's appropriate for someone who needs to govern an entire city.
"Everyone is entitled to free speech. We are not all entitled to get away with our speech," Crosby said. "And we have to understand when we hold positions in certain positions, and certainly the Chief of Police, who is supposed to be protecting the entire city, you can't put that kind of bias out there."
DPD said in a statement that "Chief Andrews is not available for an interview today."
Vigil for Kirk held in Raleigh
A vigil was held Monday night in downtown Raleigh as people continue to mourn the death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in Utah last week.
The event at Moore Square was organized to show "unity and togetherness" for the 31-year-old father of two young children.
People who attended said they wanted to honor Kirk's life in promoting conservative thought and his embrace of free speech, debate, and open dialogue.
"I really feel like I'm a better man after listening to this guy," said Tim Kessinger, of Raleigh. "And honestly, you know, I could live 10 lifetimes and not be half the man this guy was. And it's, it's, it's really, it's frustrating."
