KLANSMAN FIRED FROM CORRECTIONS OFFICER JOB

As 2009 came to a close, this little tidbit of information came down the pike. Seems there was this corrections officer named Wayne Kerschner who thought it would be a good idea to join the Ku Klux Klan. It wasn’t. Alachua County (FL) officials gave him the boot recently after finding out. As expected, the usual cries of how he should be allowed the freedom to join any group he wants, but sorry folks. That cop-out doesn’t work this time. See, the Klan is a terrorist organization, and you can’t have an affiliation with a group like that and work in public safety. In other words, the public has the right to associate with whomever we wish too. On a comments page regarding this story, a woman who is associated with the Klan group tried to defend Kerschner’s affiliation with them, saying they don’t even use the n-word on their site (no, they prefer “n****r”, which apparently is better. This is why we call them boneheads.) Those who responded to that idiot thought this to be laughable of course, but also provided this little bit of advice: “Mr. Kerschner feels the white race is so superior, how about he get a job that does not involve anything but white people.”

Associated Press

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — An Alachua County Sheriff’s Office corrections officer who acknowledged being a member of the Ku Klux Klan has been fired for belonging to a subversive or terrorist organization, a violation of the agency’s code of ethics.

Wayne Kerschner was fired Tuesday following a 10-month internal investigation.

The investigation revealed that Kerschner applied online for membership to the United Northern and Southern Knights of the Ku Klux Klan a year ago, paid $30 a month for access to a members-only Klan Web site and that the group did a thorough background check that included his credit history before allowing him to join.

The Klan has “extremely high standards,” Kerschner told investigators, according to an administrative investigation report released Thursday. “They do a complete criminal background check on everybody.”

A spokesman for the sheriff’s office didn’t return a phone call Thursday, and Kerschner’s telephone number was not listed.

During the internal probe, Kerschner told investigators the Klan never asked him for information about the jail or the sheriff’s office and that he never let his membership interfere with his job. He said he would never get involved with anything criminal and wouldn’t ever jeopardize the sheriff’s office. He said he viewed the Klan as a religious or political organization.

“I don’t let it interfere with my job,” he said, according to the report. “I don’t let it interfere with my personal judgment call on anything like that. I mean, I think I am a pretty dang fair officer.”

Kerschner told authorities that he blogged regularly on a KKK Web site, attended two rallies in Tennessee and was an officer of the United Northern and Southern Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. He said his wife was also a dues-paying member.

Kerschner gave some details into how he was inducted into the Klan in a process called “naturalization.” He said he was blindfolded during the ceremony and was touched on the shoulder with a sword after taking an oath. He said he was on probation for a month before he could have full access to the Klan Web site, which offered information on Klan handshakes and the different colors available for Klan robes.

Kerschner told investigators he was sorry for getting involved with the Klan.

“If I could erase time, I would,” he said.