A Washington state official is under fire after allegedly sending a racist meme to a colleague from his government account. In an email thread a month ago, a colleague explained that they had been excused from jury duty. Patrick Reed—the public and government affairs manager for the secretary of state and a council member in Sumner—replied with an image of a shirtless white man, wearing a mullet hairstyle, standing in front of a red pickup truck. The image was reportedly captioned: “If they’re in court, they’re guilty…especially if they’re Black or Mexican.” Sumner residents said the meme was “unprofessional,” “concerning,” and that Reed shouldn’t be in office. In a statement, the Washington office of the secretary of the state said it requires “all employees to foster an environment of dignity and respect…those we serve.” Reed has served as a Sumner city council member since 2015.

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