Support NeoGAF

[Dalek]

S.C. official resigns after telling EMS workers to kill themselves if unhappy

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- A Richland County administrator who apparently told his employees to kill themselves if they were unhappy with their jobs has resigned, CBS affiliate WCSC-TV in Charleston reports.

Kevin Bronson, the assistant county administrator for public safety, submitted his resignation letter Monday morning.

The resignation comes as EMS workers, Columbia firefighters and retired law enforcement officers from across South Carolina joined protested Bronson's comments.

In a meeting with more than 100 county EMS workers, Bronson said an extensive list of employee complaints had been hanging over him.

"So I'm looking through this list with 50 different problems, and if it's really that bad, you can just kill yourself or leave," Bronson said, according to one person who heard the comments.

In his resignation letter, Bronson said that his comments to EMS workers were "horrible" and "terrible" things to say.

"My disrespectful words hurt and offended many people in the Richland County Government, especially the EMS workers, EMS workers across this country and surviving friends and families of loved ones of suicide," Bronson wrote. "I am sorry."

Bronson admitted that he hoped the controversy would eventually blow over. "While I wanted to right the ship by staying on board in my job, that is not appropriate," Bronson wrote.

David Arnold, director of Debrief Incorporated, called the comments "absolutely appalling."

"To say that to first responders who deal with death and crisis situations every day was not only insensitive, but it was unprofessional and it was childish," Arnold said.

 

[Wag]

Majored in sensitivity training at Trump University.

 

[BronsonLee]

I DIDN'T DO IT

 

[WedgeX]

What an awful jackass.

 

[PumpkinSpice]

This is especially horrid considering the sheer volume of EMS people that deal with PTSD.

 

[Derwind]

Takes a lot to tell EMS to go kill themselves, I mean until you need their help.

 

[Fulminator]

What a piece of shit

 

[Gordon Shumway]

lol..Moran.

 

[Stead Fast]

How devoid of compassion do you have to be to say, even jokingly (which makes it a whole different kind of sick given the profession he's dealing with), 'kill yourself' because you're seeing too many complaints?

 

[norm9]

Administrators don't do shit but talk a lot.

 

[Kthulhu]

Maybe if you addressed the cause of the complaints then you'd get less, jackass. Hopefully his replacement will do a better job.

 

[KHarvey16]

From an article linked in the OPs article:

"People were crying, people were yelling at him. One we just lost a deputy because of suicide. I don’t think he understands the gravity of the situation. We’re not here for the money, we’re here because we love what we do," the audience member said.

http://m.wistv.com/wistv/db_330790/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=vWJj0CSL

 

[Slayven]

You would think compassion and empathy would be part of the job

 

[Nikodemos]

Don't let the door knob nail you in the brown ring, shithead.

 

[BlackGoku03]

They already don't make much down here in SC and he says this? To first responders? Dumb as hell. I don't know why he thought he could keep his job afterwards... expecting too much there bud.

 

[Afrodium]

I know what he said is terrible but I can't stop laughing at what a bizarre, insane, and unprofessional comment this is. Who would say something like that?

 

[Madame M]

If someone in a management-like position doesn't like to manage they can kill themselves or quit.

 

[buttery fistful]

Where is some simple shred of humanity in some of these fucks?

 

[BrassDragon]

They already don't make much down here in SC and he says this? To first responders? Dumb as hell. I don't know why he thought he could keep his job afterwards... expecting too much there bud.

The list of complaints he references bring up trivial things like being 8 trucks short of the recommended standard, causing exhaustion and low morale and refusing offers of assistance to a flooded county causing its responders to work excessive hours for 45 days.

Even if you're a penny-squeezing hack, surely you know better than to just spit on something like that in front of your workers?

 

[Omegasquash]

Shitheel.

 

[Sulik2]

Once more capitalism was a mistake. My state stays winning, sigh.

 

[Acorn]

What a grade a dumbass. The fuck did he think would happen?

 

[shem935]

I DIDN'T DO IT

Head cannon updated. Bronson you monster.

 

[capitalCORN]

Ivory tower shitheel not just unable to empathize with the frontline, but literally cast them to death.