Florida cop is suspended over 'inappropriate' joke about Mexicans cleaning bathrooms with an N-word punchline

  • Police Sgt. David Weissman told the joke to a black colleague on December 5 
  • A Hispanic-American officer was also present when Weissman made the joke 
  • He was demoted to patrol officer and suspended without pay for two months  

By KHALEDA RAHMAN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Published: | Updated:

A Florida police sergeant has been suspended, demoted and had his pay cut after he made a joke with a racial slur as the punchline to a black colleague.

'How many Mexicans does it take to clean a bathroom?' Sgt. David Weissman asked his colleague on December 5.

'None, that is a n*****'s job.'

According to the Coral Springs police department's investigation, a Hispanic-American officer was also present when Weissman made the joke.

A Florida police sergeant has been suspended, demoted and had his pay cut after he made a joke with a racial slur as the punchline to a black colleague. Pictured, the Coral Springs Police Department

A Florida police sergeant has been suspended, demoted and had his pay cut after he made a joke with a racial slur as the punchline to a black colleague. Pictured, the Coral Springs Police Department

On Friday, he was demoted to patrol officer, suspended without pay for two months and ordered to attend at least 40 hours of sensitivity training, the Sun Sentinel reports.

Weissman's salary will be cut from $110,896 to $86,745.

The police department said it determined that Weissman engaged in conduct unbecoming of a member of the department and created an offensive work environment, the Sentinel reports.

Weissman, who joined the department in 1999, acknowledged the joke was inappropriate and conceded the workplace was not the place for jokes.

But he denied his conduct violated the city's workplace harassment policy and will appeal his punishment.

According to the Sentinel, the officer the joke was told to performs as a stand-up comedian – but found Weissman's attempt at comedy offensive.

Weismann learned he'd offended the officer – who branded him 'savagely racist' in a text message to another colleague - and apologised the same day it was told.

In his explanation, he told the officer he is Jewish and as well as making Jewish jokes, has been targeted by anti-Semitic jokes that he didn't report because he didn't feel they were malicious.

At his hearing, Weissman said: 'I am not a malicious individual and I've never demonstrated racial bias in my 19 years in the workplace,'

In his defense, he also said he had mentored two female African-American detectives and created a bike unit staffed by officers from diverse backgrounds.

He insisted he did not have a habit of insulting people but that he is a victim of political correctness. 

Florida

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