After an internal investigation, Regional One Health in Memphis, Tenn., has fired a Mississippi voter who wore an offensive T-shirt to the polls, The Commercial Appeal reported.
Hospital officials did not identify the voter, who lives in Olive Branch, Miss., and is a former Memphis police officer, but he was identified on social media as Clayton John Hickey, according to the report.
A now viral photo showed the man wearing a T-shirt that included the words "Mississippi Justice" as well as a picture of a Confederate flag and a noose. The photo was taken on Nov. 6 at an Olive Branch polling location and posted on social media.
Hospital officials on Nov. 8 tweeted they were "actively investigating the allegation related to an employee to verify the truth" and would provide an update later that day.
In a series of tweets just hours later, they said, "We take this process seriously and are committed to following all necessary steps to verify the truth. On Nov. 7, 2018, we became aware of a photo circulating on social media of an individual identified online as an employee of Regional One Health."
"The Regional One Health legal and human resources teams promptly began an investigation into this employee and to determine if these allegations were real and accurate. We understand and appreciate the intense feelings related to this situation, but it is our duty to perform a thorough due diligence to verify the truth," they said.
"As of …Nov. 8, …we have completed our investigation and what we learned led to the termination of the employee in question. Regional One Health holds employees to a high standard. We are committed to upholding our mission to provide compassionate care and exceptional services to all. This includes fostering a safe and protected work and care environment for all. Behaviors contrary to these principles are unacceptable and will not be tolerated."
The Commercial Appeal was not immediately able to reach Mr. Hickey.
Leah Rupp Smith of the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office confirmed to the publication that state law does not include dress code requirements for voting locations.
But the NAACP branch in Jackson, Miss., told Fox13 the organization is looking into the incident.
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