Pendleton votes to fire police chief over Facebook post; Farrer to appeal He's placed on paid administrative leave through appeal.

Pendleton votes to fire police chief over Facebook post; Farrer to appeal He's placed on paid administrative leave through appeal.

He's placed on paid administrative leave through appeal.

The Pendleton Town Council voted 3-2 Thursday to fire Pendleton Police Chief Marc Farrer over questionable social media posts that came to light last weekend.

The decision was made during a tense public meeting following a nearly 90-minute executive session.

"Social media is a curse and a blessing all in one package and you have to be very careful, not just as a citizen, but when you hold a position in a community," said Town Council President Jessica Smith after the council emerged from an executive session about the posts.

"This is not an easy decision for any of us," Smith said before calling for the vote. "I think all of us would rather be somewhere else right now."

Smith, Jessica Bastin and Chad Wolfe voted to terminate Farrer immediately. Robert Jones and Chet Babb voted against the motion.

"I think we need to look at this longer and harder than what we just spent there in the back room," Babb said before voting.

Although the motion was to fire Farrer immediately, the chief does have the right to appeal the council's decision. Until that process is complete, he will be placed on paid administrative leave, said town attorney Alex C. Intermill. Farrer's annual salary is $63,960.

In a notice of charges against Farrer, the council "determined that certain posts to your Facebook page ... reflect and promote biases held by you that compromise your ability to carry out your duties to the public as a law enforcement officer and as the Pendleton Town Marshal in a fair, impartial and nondiscriminatory manner."

The specific charges lodged against Farrer were:

• Violation of rules.

• Conduct unbecoming an officer.

• Neglect of duty.

• Conduct injurious to the public peace and welfare.

Farrer sat stoically surrounded by friends and family, as well as officers from his own and other Madison County law enforcement agencies, as the vote was taken.

Pendleton residents who packed the small town hall mostly seemed to be supporters of the chief and appeared shocked and angry about the decision.

Some threatened political retaliation in the next town election for those members who voted for termination. Members of the audience were not allowed to speak at the hearing.

After the vote, supporters lined up and hugged Farrer and offered condolences and support.

He said he doesn't believe what has been alleged justifies his being fired as chief, and he does plan to appeal.

"There's a lot of love in this room, and people in this town that support me," Farrer said.

Ted Vetor, a longtime friend, said that despite the allegations of racism and intolerance that have been raised, Farrer has developed a department that's the most diverse agency in the town, something the council should take into consideration.

Bob Begley doesn't share that view.

"I think it was absolutely the right decision. ... I'm very pleased he's gone," Begley said. "Pendleton is at a crossroads and I don't want to see this racist behavior."

Smith said she first became aware of the brewing controversy on Saturday when she received an email complaining about a meme Farrer shared on his Facebook page.

The image depicts a tree sapling under the label "Islam" being watered by a man with a hangman's noose around his neck under the label "liberals."

By Monday, however, Smith's email in-box was flooded with messages, including additional copies of memes Farrer allegedly posted that could interpreted as making fun of transgender people, another that made fun of Native Americans and Ilhan Omar Will, a newly-elected member of Congress who will be allowed to wear a Hijab on the House Floor. Another made fun of the Black Lives Matter organization.

Farrer readily admits posting the first image, saying it represented his view that liberals created a political environment that fostered the growth of radical Islamic groups.

After talking with his sister, who told him the Islam label on its own was too broad and didn't actually represent his position, Farrer said he deleted the post. It was posted on his page for less than an hour, Farrer said.

"I deleted it from my timeline after I had a rational conversation with someone," Farrer said.

"I did not know that picture had been reposted," said Farrer, who believes his Facebook account was hacked.

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The hearing will not be open to the public.

Any decisions — whether to uphold the decision to fire, or modify that decision — will be announced at a public meeting, Intermill said.