By Chris Conley
The Commercial Appeal
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Fire Department has launched an investigation to find out who juxtaposed a photo of Mayor A C Wharton with pictures of some of history’s most notorious mass murderers at one of the city’s station houses.
The photo was posted in a public area in Station No. 16 on Lamar Avenue and came to the attention of Fire Director Alvin Benson over the weekend.
Reportedly, Wharton’s photo appears alongside those of Osama bin Laden and Adolf Hitler.
“We haven’t narrowed it down to an individual,” Benson said Thursday. “We will get to the bottom of it.”
“We don’t condone that kind of stuff, absolutely inappropriate. It’s a serious matter.”
These are some of the questions that need to be answered: Who posted the photo display? Who among the supervisory staff was aware of it? And why was it done?
The action does not appear to be related to any wage or work condition dispute.
“We know of no linkages to anything at all,” Benson said. “We’re trying to make sense of something that doesn’t make sense.”
Joe Norman, spokesman for the Memphis Firefighters Association, said no administrative charges have been filed.
“We have to make sure (members) are treated fairly, not threatened with a transfer,” for instance, he said.
Since the union will have to represent anyone hit with administrative charges, Norman could not comment further.
The guilty party could face personal conduct, conduct unbecoming charges, and perhaps others. The case would be heard by a member of the Fire Department staff.
Copyright 2010 The Commercial Appeal, Inc.