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- More people who were identified among those in Washington, DC during the siege on the US Capitol were suspended or placed on leave from their jobs.
- On Wednesday, riots stormed the US Capitol building as Congress was attempting to certify the 2020 election results.
- According to reports, a Pennsylvania teacher was relieved from their position, two Seattle Police department officers were placed on administrative leave, and a New York MTA worker was suspended without pay.
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People who were identified among rally-goers in Washington, DC during the siege on the US Capitol have been suspended or placed on leave from their jobs.
As photos and videos of Trump supporters breaching the US Capitol building on Wednesday rolled in, US companies are held their employees accountable by terminating those who publicly posted about their participation in DC online.
The storming of the Capitol building occurred as Congress convened to certify the results of the 2020 general election and made waves on social media as rioters were captured taking part in the violent riot that forced the evacuation of lawmakers and resulted in four fatalities and multiple injuries.
The Philly Voice reported that an unidentified Allentown School District teacher in Pennsylvania was “temporarily relieved” from his position and the district has launched an investigation.
“We understand that many members of our community are upset by the image. At the same time, the district has an obligation to respect the First Amendment rights of our staff and students,” the district’s superintendent, Thomas Parker, said in a statement on Thursday per Philly Voice.
—Allentown Schools (@AllentownSD) January 7, 2021
Parker continued: "Because of the emotion and controversy stirred by the events of January 6, 2021, the teacher has been temporarily relieved of his teaching duties until the School District can complete a formal investigation of his involvement."
John Minchillo/AP
New York resident and MTA employee, Will Pepe, was suspended from his job without compensation, according to the New York Post. A photo of him was published online by the FBI. Pepe,31, had reportedly called out sick to go to Wednesday's rally, WABC-TVreported.
"Effective immediately this individual has been suspended from Metro-North without pay and will be disciplined in accordance with their collective bargaining agreement pending an investigation," an MTA spokesperson told the NY Post in a statement."This alleged conduct is abhorrent and goes against the values of Metro-North, New York, and the nation."
CNN reported on Saturday that two officers of the Seattle Police Department were placed on leave and will be fired if an investigation concludes that they were involved in the riots.
—Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) January 9, 2021
"The Department fully supports all lawful expressions of First Amendment freedom of speech, but the violent mob and events that unfolded at the U.S. Capitol were unlawful and resulted in the death of another police officer," Chief Adrian Diaz said in a statement on Friday. "The incident has been forwarded to the Office of Police Accountability for full review of any SPD employee activities at the U.S. Capitol. "
According to USA Today, authorities have made dozens of arrests so far of those connected to the Capitol breach including Nick Ochs of the Proud Boys in Hawaii, Richard Barnett who sat at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office desk, and Adam Christian Johnson who was caught holding Pelosi's lectern while smiling and waving. The FBI asked for assistance from the public earlier this week to identify insurrectionists.
—FBI (@FBI) January 8, 2021
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