Michigan Police Officer Fired After KKK Memorabilia Found in Home

Justin Morgan
By Justin Morgan
September 14, 2019US News
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Michigan Police Officer Fired After KKK Memorabilia Found in Home
On Tuesday, community members in Muskegon addressed city leaders after a police officer was placed on administrative leave for having a KKK item in his home. (WXMI via CNN)

A police officer in Michigan has been fired following an investigation into claims that he had Ku Klux Klan memorabilia and confederate flags on display in his Muskegon home.

Muskegon City Manager Fred Peterson said Charles Anderson, the officer, lost his job following a disciplinary hearing that took place on Thursday, Sept. 11 afternoon.

The Muskegon Fraternal Order of Police told reporters it had no comment and that “Mr. Anderson is represented by a union and we have faith they will act in his best interest as he moves past this unfortunate situation.”

The items were discovered last month by potential homebuyers who said they saw flags and a framed KKK application while touring his five-bedroom home. Anderson was put on administrative leave last month and an investigation was launched.

Robert and Reyna Mathis said they ended the walk-through after they saw the memorabilia.

“I feel sick to my stomach knowing that I walk to the home of one of the most racist people in Muskegon hiding behind his uniform and possibly harassing people of color and different nationalities,” Robert Mathis wrote in a Facebook post on Aug. 7., which prompted authorities to investigate the matter.

Robert Mathis told Fox News: “There are other officers within the police force that have been to Anderson’s home and were well aware of the Confederate flags.”

“(Officers who) contributed to that behavior, instead of saying we as a police force are supposed to have good attitudes when making decisions for our community,” he said. “These KKK applications, flags, they’re not indicative of people who should protect and serve our community.”

Rachael Anderson, the officer’s wife, told CNN-affiliate WOOD that her husband was never a member of the KKK: “No, he’s not, no, no,” she said. “He can’t say anything right now, I wish we could because it would probably set a lot of things straight.”

Anderson has been an officer with the Muskegon Police Department since 1997, reported Fox News.

Alleged KKK Recruitment Flyers Found in High School

In Texas last week, a student at a San Antonio high school said he found what appears to be a Ku Klux Klan flyer.

The student reportedly found the flyer in the campus’s bathroom, between a soap dispenser and a wall. He then sent a photo of the flyer to his mother who posted the image on social media.

Ku Klux Klan flyer.
School authorities in San Antonio have launched an investigation after a student found what appeared to be a Ku Klux Klan flyer in a bathroom. (East Central ISD via CNN)

Following the discovery, school authorities, police, and the FBI launched an investigation into the matter.

The East Central Independent School District released a statement, saying, “This behavior is not tolerated at East Central ISD and not reflective of our core beliefs and inclusive environment,” reported the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “The individual will be caught and punished to the fullest extent of the law.”

FBI Special Agent Michelle Lee told CNN in an email: “If in the course of the local inquiry, information comes to light of a potential federal violation, the FBI is prepared to investigate.

“However, no matter how offensive a viewpoint may be, expressing certain beliefs in and of themselves is not a crime and the FBI can never open an investigation based solely on constitutionally protected activity.”

So far only two flyers have surfaced and the investigation is still ongoing.

CNN contributed to this report.

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