Sherri Goforth, an employee of TN state senator Diane Black (R-Gallatin) sent out an email to what she thought were friends, but was actually a other state politicos and their staffers. The email contained a single photo of all 44 U.S. Presidents. See if you can tell what might be considered a tad offensive.
And what was Ms. Goforth’s punishment? A reprimand by her superiors.
The email was eventually leaked to the press who contacted her and asked if she had any comment concerning her actions to which she replied:
When I asked her if she understood the controversial nature of the photo, Goforth would only say she felt very bad about accidentally sending it to the wrong list. When I gave her a second chance to address the controversial nature of the email, she again repeated that she only felt bad about sending it to the wrong list of people.
“I went on the wrong email and I inadvertently hit the wrong button,” Goforth told NIT. “I’m very sick about it, and it’s one of those things I can’t change or take back.”
[update 6/18] from Think Progress (the entire entry is at their site):
Pressure has been building on Tennessee State Sen. Diane Black (R) to fire her aide, Sherri Goforth, who sent an e-mail with a racist image of President Obama. Today on CNN, for example, former Cheney aide Ron Christie said that “I think the appropriate course of action would be for this staffer to be dismissed.”
However, Black has dug in her heels. Yesterday, she told CNN that that although the e-mail “does not represent the beliefs or opinions of my office,” she decided to keep Goforth.
As the Knoxville News Sentinel reports, the Tennessee Democratic Party has obtained a copy of this “strongly worded reprimand,” which is barely a slap on the wrist. Black advises Goforth not to send communications that are “derogatory regarding any minority” and adds, “I look forward to working together in the future within these guidelines.”
Goforth initially refused to apologize for the racist imagery, saying only that she sent it to the wrong list. (She eventually apologized for the “offensive nature” of her e-mail.)
Black has repeatedly insisted that Goforth’s e-mail did not “reflect any of my beliefs.” As proof she has cited her time as a nurse, “working with people with black skin who needed medical help” around the world.
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