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Belding firefighter let go for racist remarks

Posted at 10:41 PM, Dec 12, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-12 23:59:30-05

BELDING, Mich. -- A firefighter from the Belding fire department was let go for allegedly posting racist remarks on Facebook over the weekend.

A three-sentence statement is all it took to get Ryan Hudson fired. The short statement was filled with vulgar and inappropriate language that could only be described as racist.

The woman who those comments were directed to did not want to be identified. She told FOX 17 that it started after she commented on a status about Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem.

She said she agreed with his right to speech, and that comment led to a back and forth correspondence with Hudson.

"Basically I wrote 'Black Lives Matter,' and that’s when he spelled out in no uncertain terms, because he’s now claiming he was drunk. First he was hacked, now he’s drunk," said the victim.

Her screen shots soon captured the attention of Hudson's boss, Chief Greg Moore with the Belding fire department. He says Hudson had been with the department for a year and never showed signs of doing anything like this.

"I've actually never had to fire someone," said Chief Moore. "This is a first. My employees are excellent employees, and I've had nothing but the utmost respect for all of them. They do what they are supposed to do and this is so out of the ordinary for a firefighter to do."

And the woman that Hudson reportedly said horrible things to says it's not just about hurting someone's feelings.

"Yes we do have free speech in this country, but free speech does not mean you’re safe from the consequences of your free speech and your decisions," the woman said. "We don’t just get to spout off at the mouth and spew hatred and ignorance."

Chief Moore said the reason for the immediate action is simple: when the red light and siren goes off for firefighters to hit the road and possibly save lives, there cannot be any question that his men will do their job, no matter the color of the person's skin.

"We don’t know it would have changed him from doing his job," said Moore. "But what are you going to do? We can’t take the chance. We have to treat everybody no matter what and we want that to happen."

FOX 17 reached out to Hudson by phone and went to his home, but we did not make contact or receive a statement from him.