Boynton Beach, Fla. (AP) – A Florida fire chief and arts manager have been removed from their jobs after a mural depicting black former fire department officials was replaced with one showing them with white faces.
The Palm Beach Post reports that City Manager Lori LaVerriere removed Matthew Petty, the city’s fire chief, and fired Debby Coles-Dobay, the city’s public arts manager. LaVerriere said in a statement Saturday she would not tolerate disrespect to any part of the community.
The mural, which the city unveiled this month, erased the image of Latosha Clemons, who was the city’s first and only black female firefighter and deputy chief.
Also erased on the mural was the face of Glenn Joseph, the city’s former fire chief. He was the first black firefighter in Boca Raton’s department.
Officials removed the public art project a day after it was unveiled.
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