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CHARLESTON -- Two civil rights groups representing Jewish and Muslim populations praised Gov. Jim Justice and the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety for taking decisive action concerning a photo showing members of the Basic Training Class No. 18 giving a Nazi salute.
Justice and DMAPS Secretary Jeff Sandy, Monday, released the results of the investigation into the photo taken Nov. 27 showing 37 members of the cadet class at the Corrections Academy in Glenville giving raised-arm salutes -- some with open palms and some with closed fists -- used by the Nazi Party.
Justice and Sandy announced that the 37 cadets that participated in the photo have been fired along with three instructors. Another four staff members at the academy were suspended without pay. Investigations are continuing into other pictures showing the cadets making gestures similarly associated with Adolf Hitler.
"It is good to see that swift and corrective action was taken with the correction officers and trainees that raised their arms in a Nazi salute," said James Pasch, regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, an organization that combats anti-Semitism against Jewish people. "In addition to those corrective actions, the root cause that led to that outrageous picture still needs to be addressed."
"We welcome the firing of these individuals and hope it sends the strong message that anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry and hate will not be tolerated in West Virginia or any other state," said Ibrahim Hooper, communications director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
According to the investigative report, use of the Nazi salute started three weeks into the cadet training that started Oct. 21 by a handful of cadets as a "sign of respect" for instructor Karrie Byrd. Despite other instructors raising concerns about using the salute and educating the cadets about its historical and racial implications, Byrd allegedly told the cadets the salute was fine and encouraged it.
Not all of the cadets agreed with the use of the salute, but when the cadets took their class photo, Byrd ordered the photo to be taken multiple times until all the cadets used the salute. Some used the closed fist to denote their displeasure, but did not refuse, fearing they would be failed from the academy and lose a chance to work in the state prison and jail system.
When a secretary raised concerns about the photo, Byrd told the secretary to put the caption "Hail Byrd" above the photo and said the photo was not inappropriate given that all the cadets -- white and black -- participated. When more concerns were brought to Capt. Annette Daniels-Watts, a supervisor at the academy, she brushed off those concerns and allowed the photo to be distributed to the class.
The investigation found that salute was not due to any racist or anti-Semitic sentiments among the class. The salute was ultimately traced back to a black cadet, considered to be an informal leader of the class, who told instructors "Look at me. I am black, and I am doing it..."
"There is no dispute that the 'Hail Byrd' gesture and photograph were highly offensive and egregious in appearance, but the investigation did not reveal any overt motivation or intent that this was a discriminatory act towards any racial, religious, or ethnic group," according to the report. "Rather, contributing factors included poor judgment, ignorance, peer pressure, and fear of reprisal."
Despite being accused of ignorance, all corrections classes receive training on identifying white supremacy in prisons, where the salute is sometimes used among members of the Aryan Nation and other neo-Nazi groups. The investigative report comes just after a week of anti-Semitic attacks on Jews in the New York City metropolitan area, including an attack by a man with a machete at a rabbi's home in Monsey, N.Y.
Justice and Sandy said that the state has been in contact with religious leaders to help ensure an incident like this doesn't happen again. The ADL has also been in contact with state officials about additional training for cadets.
"We have been in regular communication with the Department of Corrections on the educational tools and programs necessary to assist in long-term fundamental changes to address the issues of systematic biases within the Department," Pasch said.
(Adams can be contacted at sadams@newsandsentinel.com)