Two deputies are reassigned after social media posts

Two deputies have been moved from their posts and reassigned to desk jobs after social media posts surfaced that the Broward Sheriff’s Office found questionable. One post by a deputy questioned the lack of black leadership at Sheriff ’s Office.

Veteran deputy Ronald Thurston turned to Facebook after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week to argue that there were few black deputies assigned to various divisions such as homicide, major narcotics and crime suppression at the Broward Sheriff ’s Office.

Protesters have rallied across the country, including in South Florida, in an outcry over Floyd’s death. A disturbing video showed a white police officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes before a handcuffed and facedown Floyd died.

“Vote or die,” Thurston wrote on his Facebook page after listing the number of black employees in various divisions at the Sheriff ’s Office, according to an image of the post.

Over the weekend, Thurston signed a form that notified him that his weapon and other gear were being taken away. The form, obtained through public records, told Thurston he was being investigated over a potential violation of the agency’s social media policy and over unbecoming conduct.

What deputy Michael Ruback posted is accused of posting online is unclear. Records show he, too, was reassigned to a desk job during an investigation into possible violations of the Sheriff’s Office’s social media policy.

According to the social media policy, employees are prohibited from sharing content that is inconsistent with the duties, conduct and responsibilities of a

Broward Sheriff’s Office employee. This includes content that could be interpreted as having an adverse effect upon department morale, discipline, operations, safety of staff, or perception of the public.

Unethical, sexual, violent, harassing, racist, sexist, or ethnically derogatory comments, pictures, artwork, videos, material or other such references tend to undermine the public trust and confidence required by employees of the Broward Sheriff’s Office, states the Sheriff’s Office’s policy.

The reassigned deputies union leader, Frank Voudy said he could not comment. An attorney representing the union said he is still trying to gather details of what happened over the weekend.

A deeper dive into Thurston’s Facebook page suggests he isn’t a fan of Sheriff Gregory Tony.

In April, just days after Tony suspended the union’s president Jeff Bell, Thurston posted that he had never seen a Democratic leader go after a union. Included in that post was an image of Thurston’s no-convidence vote against Tony.

Shortly after Bell was suspended, the union voted 693 to 93 that it had lost confidence in the sheriff.

Tony was appointed sheriff last year when Gov. Ron DeSantis removed Sheriff Scott Israel from the position. Both Tony and Israel are considered frontrunners for the Democratic nomination of the sheriff’s seat in August. Thurston is openly in favor of Israel.

“The Broward Sheriff’s

Office has been made aware of social network posts made by two active employees,” the sheriff’s office posted on Twitter. “Both deputies have been temporarily reassigned to administrative duty during an investigation into potential social media/social network policy violations.”

Two emails to the Sheriff’s Office for comment were not returned Monday. Neither Thurston nor Ruback could be reached for comment.