Thunder Bay – NEWS – A senior official from the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre was removed from his position following information first reported by CBC Thunder Bay.
CBC reported, “Keith Taylor is no longer co-chair of the patient family advisory council at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC), where he had volunteered for about a decade, a spokesperson confirmed Tuesday, citing the hospital’s social media policy.”
On his Facebook page Taylor had reportedly posted pictures of Nazi era images and a bronze bust of the failed dictator Adolf Hitler. The postings were made over a decade ago.
The hospital in an emailed statement says, “The individual mentioned is not an employee of TBRHSC, and is no longer serving in a voluntary role on the patient and family advisory council.”
Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre cites violations of the social media policy as the reasons, and now considers this an internal matter.
Statement from the Anti-Racism & Respect Advisory Committee
Re: Removal of TBRHSC senior official from a leadership council for violating social media policy after images of Nazi-affiliated items were discovered on his Facebook page
The Anti-Racism & Respect Advisory Committee condemns all acts of racism, especially those involving hateful social media posts and imagery from the Holocaust. Our Committee will continue to stand up against racism, hate and discrimination. We must not allow ourselves to become complacent to these hateful posts. It is our collective duty to stand up and call out hatred, racism and discrimination in all of its forms and wherever it exists.
The Committee denounces Nazism, White Supremacy and the use of imagery or collection of paraphernalia from the atrocities committed by Hitler. These images and items are a painful reminder to survivors and their families of the atrocities committed in the Second World War. Glorifying his barbaric crimes by owning and sharing these symbols is poisoning our society.
We call on the entire community to educate themselves and understand social media’s use and its damaging potential. Organizations can do this by ensuring strong policies and reviews are in place to dispel and address hateful rhetoric, racism, discrimination and misinformation of all kinds by employees, volunteers and anyone else attached to these businesses, organizations or institutions.
The use of social media has damaging consequences, and it must be reformed to protect those most vulnerable and those sharing damaging, hateful, racist and discriminatory posts must be held responsible for their actions.