Cop Who Refused to Work at Utah "Gay Pride" Parade Placed on Leave, Under Investigation

Dave Urbanski theblaze.com A Salt Lake City police officer has been placed on leave and is under investigation after refusing an assignment to work at a gay pride parade. The officer was among about 30 assigned to provide traffic control and security for the annual Utah Pride Parade on Sunday in Salt Lake City, said department spokeswoman Lara Jones. “We don’t tolerate bias and bigotry in the department, and assignments are assignments … To allow personal opinion to enter into whether an officer will take a post is not something that can be tolerated in a police department,” Jones told KSL-TV. The officer, whose name was not released, is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal affairs investigation. Jones declined comment on the officer’s reason for refusing the assignment. Utah Pride Center spokeswoman Deann Armes said her group is pleased with the department’s stance and believes officers should undergo sensitivity training before joining the force.Steven Ha, executive director of the Utah Pride Center, told KSTU-TV in Salt Lake City that “clearly the officer’s act was more than just smelling of bigotry, but I think the act was bigotry, choosing to not do a duty that is sworn by police officers to do.” to read more: theblaze.com