LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - A Louisiana musician has been fired from his job as a paramedic after he posted an image on social media of a person wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood in a grocery store and a drawing of a car running into protesters.
“The posts and underlying insensitivity and disrespect shown by the posts are not in any way representative of our Company,” Acadian Companies said in a statement on Facebook Tuesday announcing the firing of Jamie Bergeron.
Bergeron, who had been a paramedic with the company, also leads a south Louisiana music group called Jamie Bergeron and the Kickin’ Cajuns.
The company suspended him last week to discuss his Instagram posts after they drew backlash and led to calls to their office. His public social media account has since been made private.
In an apology statement to KATC-TV, Bergeron said some of his “closest and lifelong friends” were “people of color” and asked people to judge him on his “many years of saving lives and helping people” of all races.
“We are doing our part to educate and create awareness and a sense of renewed respect for the value of a diverse workforce and the importance of the current Black Lives Matter movement,” the company said in the statement.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.