BALTIMORE, Md. — The president of a Baltimore firefighters union has apologized to city mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake for an image circulating the Internet of her face on a roll of toilet paper.
The image was accompanied by another of Fire Chief James Clack’s face in a toilet bowl. An Investigation determined the photos were created and distributed last month by two members the department.
Local 734 President Rick Hoffman said those responsible are being disciplined and that he “unequivocally” condemned the images, according to the Baltimore Sun.
“No way in hell would I stoop to these levels…I am trying to build a decent foundation for us to work together, and the mayor’s face gets posted on toilet paper. It’s degrading and embarrassing,” he said.
Some union members of the union say Hoffman is to blame because he failed to publically condemn the photos while at a protest earlier this week and because he suspended a union leader for alerting city officials to the images, according to the article.
The Baltimore Sun reported that Hoffman had asked the union’s board of directors to suspend Lenore Scharf, the first vice president at the time, for “misconduct, libel and slander” and for relaying her concerns about the images to a labor relations specialist.
An attorney has asked the International Association of Fire Fighters to review the case of Scharf’s suspension.