Accidental Live Broadcast of Racial Slurs on Facebook Leads to a Board of Trustees Member’s Resignation
This Naval Academy Alumni Association Board of Trustees member did not wait to be put on the hot seat any longer. After his accidental live broadcast on Facebook on Saturday, he resigned from his position.
According to reports, the resignation came after "an accidental Facebook Live video" broadcasted 63-year-old Scott Bethmann and his wife, Nancy while they were making racist remarks and "using racial slurs" while they were conversing about the Black Lives Matter movement.
According to The Florida Times-Union, and a video that was spread on social media showed, the couple was making racist comments and using slurs in a video which they appeared not to notice, was streaming on Facebook Live.
Bethmann explained, he somehow "clicked onto some live event." When the more-than-half-an-hour stream, displaying mostly black screen ended, this ex-Board of Trustees member realized he was broadcasted live.
He then started to read the comments aloud and asked, what the people commenting were talking about before mumbling, "Oops." and eventually, cutting the feed.
Residents Quick to Take Screen Recordings
Residents of Atlantic Beach and Jacksonville were quite fast to take screen recordings of Bethmann's video Friday night before his Facebook page was taken down entirely.
Such recordings have been posted, forwarded and shared on different social media platforms, and were re-posted many times, according to news reports, "In an Atlantic Beach community Facebook group."
According to USNA Alumni Association Jacksonville chapter president, Caleb Cronic, Bethmann has resigned from his position "as a local Board of Trustees member" both nationally and locally. Incidentally, Bethmann is also an Atlantic Beach Country Club member.
The video was reviewed by the Times-Union, and here, Bethmann was heard talking about the manner major companies come out and share how they condemn racism
Taking the Appropriate Actions
Also, part of the video showed the pair talking about how minority groups, specifically women in the military, would "steal our intellectual property."
Commenters were wondering if the seeming bias of Bethmann might have impacted the recruit's promotions of Naval, or former career courses.
Aside from his resignation as a member of the Naval Academy Alumni Association Board of Trustees, Cronic confirmed too, that Bethmann was "disenrolled" as well, as an alumni association member.
Meanwhile, in a statement, Retired Admiral Samuel J. Locklear III said, the attributed remarks are not representing the Alumni Association's values and missions, the US Navy or the Naval Academy.
Locklear also continued that "as volunteer leaders in our communities" they must inspire and set good examples for all citizens. And, as the Alumni Association's chairman, he said, he has accepted this alumnus' resignation effective today.
He also urged the Jacksonville chapter to act upon the appointment of a new Chapter Trustee. He also said that the alumni association is representing over 65,000 people from different perspectives and backgrounds.
Also, according to Locklear, his group supports the mission of the Naval Academy. And, as alumni, he continued, they "seek to uphold" the academy's "core leadership values of honor, courage and commitment."
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