Westchester Correction’s Sgt. Michael Bourhill Under Investigations For Racist Comments About GA Corrections

Sgt. Michael Bourhill, a corrections officer from Westchester County is under investigation after making an what some are calling a racist social media post making fun of Georgia prison guards. The veteran Westchester County corrections sergeant is under investigation for a “racist and offensive” social media post ridiculing Georgia jail guards.

Bourhill is accused of posting a group photo of Georgia corrections officers that had a caption above it saying, “They must serve some good biscuits and gravy at the Georgia Department of Corrections.” Above that he wrote “Damn!!”

The post eventually ended up getting the attention of Westchester County officials.

“Last week, the Department of Corrections became aware of an inappropriate social media post and launched a formal investigation. Posting or reposting inappropriate images is a violation of Westchester County Employee policy. Employees who violate this policy will be subject to formal disciplinary charges,” county communications director Catherine Cioffi said in a statement.

The Westchester Correction Association (WCA)-who advocates for equality, effective training, well-being and uplifting the culture of Black/African American Law Enforcement Officers-strongly condemned the racist and offensive social media post

The Westchester Correction Association took issue with the post, issuing the following statement, “The Westchester Correction Association strongly condemns the racist and offensive social media post shared by a Westchester Correction Sergeant. In the post, the sergeant shared an image of a group of predominantly Black Correction Officers from the state of Georgia. Sharing this post is not only unprofessional and inappropriate for any law enforcement supervisor as well as deeply racist and demeaning. To merely share such a post is offensive to this supervisor’s colleagues and co workers. Furthermore, this post is a clear violation of the department’s social media policy. However, it appears the department only holds Black officers and organizations accountable to this policy, while white officers’ actions go unchecked and without consequences. Regardless if the post implies that Black people eat a lot of biscuits or references the weight of some of the officers in the photo, such posts have no place in our society, let alone within the ranks of law enforcement. As a supervisor, it is important to exercise judgment and sensitivity in order to maintain a respectful and inclusive work environment. While some may perceive certain actions as light-hearted jests, others may find them offensive. As an organization, we have consistently addressed the issue of the double standard in disciplining white officers compared to Black officers within the Westchester County Department of Corrections. The fact that a sergeant feels emboldened to share such a post raises serious concerns about his attitudes towards the Black officers under his command. It is the responsibility of Commissioner Joe Spano, Correction Management, and the County of Westchester to take decisive action and set a clear example that racism, bigotry, and discrimination will not be tolerated within the county government. This includes the sharing of offensive social media posts. Westchester County prides itself on being one of the most progressive counties in the state of New York. However, failing to address blatant bigotry within its departments undermines this claim and erodes public trust. We call upon the leadership of Westchester County to take immediate steps to address this incident, hold the sergeant accountable for his actions, and implement comprehensive measures to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. It is crucial that the county demonstrates its commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion through concrete actions rather than mere words. Moreover, the department must enforce its social media policy consistently and fairly, regardless of an officer’s race. The double standard in the application of this policy must end, and all officers should be held to the same standards of professionalism and respect.”

The Westchester County Department of Corrections has

The original picture used in Sgt. Bourhill’s post is from a 2019 Sergeants Academy graduation that the Georgia Department of Corrections has put on Facebook.

Sources tell Black Westchester this is not the first time. Just three weeks ago there was a complaint of a white officiers making remarks on Facebook.

Black Westchester also reached out to the Georgia Department of Corrections and has not received a response by press time.