Deputy under investigation after comment about gay pride parade
SAN JACINTO COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A captain with the San Jacinto County Sheriff's Office is under investigation over a comment he made on Facebook.
It was on a Harris County Sheriff's Office post concerning the Pride Parade.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office shared a photo of their vehicle decked out in the parade.
The comment from Joe Schultea read, "Hummm have worked 'Side' jobs, 'Road' jobs, but it looks like HCSO is now working... (a lewd innuendo)! Sad state of affairs for my old alma mater."
Schultea is now a captain at the San Jacinto County Sheriff's Office. He retired from HCSO in 1999.
His comment is now under investigation by his new employer.
"We open an investigation and see if violation of policies and things like that, and we go from there," said Chief Dan Todd of the San Jacinto County Sheriff's Office.
There is a social media policy and if it's violated, a deputy could face punishment.
"You could get days off and you could get terminated so I don't know, I haven't seen the file," said Todd.
The comment was made on HCSO's public page, but Schultea says he thought he was making the comment in a private conversation.
He says his comment was related to conversation within the comments about HCSO's use of taxpayer money to use a county vehicle in a specialty parade. He has since deleted the comment.
He apologized for the wording of the comment.
"It was crude and I shouldn't have made it," said Schultea.
The San Jacinto Sheriff's Office says the investigation will take about a week and it's likely some recourse will be taken.
"If he said that and did that and it got out on social media, it's not supposed to do that," said Todd.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office sent us this statement:
"The Harris County Sheriff's Office proudly participates in celebrations of our community's rich diversity, and that includes the pride parade. We are committed to being an agency that reflects the people we serve."
