The man responsible for a racist social media post showing Willie Taggart getting lynched has been fired from his job at Hilton Grand Vacations, the company said in a statement Monday.
"Our concern regarding this situation has been a top priority," Lauren George, a spokesperson for Hilton Grand Vacations, said of the unnamed employee. "The person responsible for posting this information has been terminated. His behavior was in violation of multiple company policies and the furthest example from being a reflection of our company's values."
The racist post was made in a Florida State fan group on Facebook on Saturday, shortly after the Seminoles lost to rival Florida 41-14 to finish a 5-7 season. It showed Taggart's head edited onto an image of a man being lynched with the words "Believe in Something Even If It Means Sacrificing Your Rep," alluding to the recent Nike ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick.
The meme went viral after the man posted it in the comments section on the fan group page. Florida State president John Thrasher condemned the post Sunday, calling it "ignorant and despicable." The Florida State Attorney for the Second Judicial Circuit is investigating.
Taggart, the first black football head coach in Florida State history, was hired last December from Oregon. Florida State posted the school's first losing season since 1976 and failed to qualify for a bowl game for the first time since 1981.
"Our concern regarding this situation has been a top priority," Lauren George, a spokesperson for Hilton Grand Vacations, said of the unnamed employee. "The person responsible for posting this information has been terminated. His behavior was in violation of multiple company policies and the furthest example from being a reflection of our company's values."
The racist post was made in a Florida State fan group on Facebook on Saturday, shortly after the Seminoles lost to rival Florida 41-14 to finish a 5-7 season. It showed Taggart's head edited onto an image of a man being lynched with the words "Believe in Something Even If It Means Sacrificing Your Rep," alluding to the recent Nike ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick.
The meme went viral after the man posted it in the comments section on the fan group page. Florida State president John Thrasher condemned the post Sunday, calling it "ignorant and despicable." The Florida State Attorney for the Second Judicial Circuit is investigating.
Taggart, the first black football head coach in Florida State history, was hired last December from Oregon. Florida State posted the school's first losing season since 1976 and failed to qualify for a bowl game for the first time since 1981.
