Florida State Condemns Racist Meme Featuring Willie Taggart
Florida State president John Thrasher on Sunday decried a racist meme posted on Facebook which depicted head coach Willie Taggart's head on the man of a body being lynched.
The Florida state attorney is reportedly looking into the matter.
The meme, which circulated on Saturday night following the Seminoles' 41–14 loss to rival Florida, parodie a recent Nike ad, including the words "Believe in Something Even If It Means Sacrificing Your Rep." Taggart, whom FSU hired last December, is the school's first black head coach.
"A recent racist social media post aimed at our football coach is ignorant and despicable," Thrasher said. "I speak for the entire FSU community in expressing our disgust and extreme disappointment, and I am glad the state attorney is investigating.
"Coach Taggart has our full support and as true Seminoles know, he is a respected member of the FSU family."
The man allegedly responsible for the post was fired from his job at Hilton Grand Vacations, the luxury hotel shared on Twitter.
"Our concern regarding this has been a top priority," the tweet states. "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 Seminoles finished Taggart's first season 5–7, which marked the program's first losing season since 1976.
