Mike Fitzpatrick
The Sandusky Register

SANDUSKY — A local law enforcement officer, identified as State Trooper Craig T. Franklin, wears a mock KKK costume in a cell phone photo that was forwarded to other troopers at other posts.

Two troopers at the Sandusky post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol nearly lost their jobs after one snapped a photo of the other dressed in a Ku Klux Klan-like outfit and sent the picture to another trooper.

The third trooper, who worked at the Norwalk post, was also in hot water for his role in the incident.

The picture was taken with a cell phone camera at the Sandusky post on Jan. 20.

Troopers Eric E. Wlodarsky and Craig T. Franklin, who were both on duty at the time, told an investigator the picture was taken as a joke and modeled after a skit by comedian Dave Chappelle.

The investigation began when the highway patrol’s Administrative Investigative Unit received an anonymous letter postmarked Jan. 22 from Mansfield.

In the letter were two photographs of a uniformed Franklin “in a handmade outfit, which resembles that worn by Ku Klux Klan” members, according to an interoffice memo.

Also included in the envelope was a note that read, “Sergeant Wlodarsky on duty at the Sandusky Post on January 20, 2008. What a way to represent the Ohio State Highway Patrol!”

Franklin, a 12-year veteran, is pictured “with a white cone sitting on his head, white paper mask with eye holes in front of his face and white cloth covering the shoulders,” according to a patrol document.

The well-known KKK outfit with a white hood and mask is an iconic image of racism.

The report added that one can see equipment including “a handgun holster, vehicle audio microphone, double magazine holder, Mace holder and radio as issued by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.”

Wlodarsky told an investigator he forwarded the picture via text message to Sgt. Jason P. Demuth at the Norwalk post.
Demuth forwarded the picture to dispatcher Gaby Highlander, who works at the Toledo post, according to an investigation by Sgt. Jeffrey P. Bernard.

Wlodarsky told an investigator there was no malicious intent behind the picture and Franklin was a “joker” and posed for the picture “with a joking intent.”
Franklin, Wlodarsky, another trooper and a dispatcher were discussing MLK Day at the post on the day the picture was taken.

Wlodarsky told the investigator it was “his bad” to allow Franklin to dress up in the Klan garb.

“Sgt. Wlodarsky said there was no specific reference to the outfit looking like KKK, but supposes it would to the average person,” Bernard wrote in his report. “He said after Franklin had thrown the outfit away, he told Franklin the gesture was not the best thing to do at work or in general.”

Franklin told investigators he was in the outfit for about a minute and “truly sorry.” He admitted “it was the wrong thing to do” and was “embarrassed that he did it,” Bernard wrote in the report.

Henry Guzman, director of Ohio Department of Public Safety, intended to fire both Wlodarsky and Franklin based on Bernard’s investigation. Because of their union contract, both were allowed to keep their jobs under a last chance discipline agreement following a pre-disciplinary hearing March 24.

Both Wlodarsky and Franklin will be terminated if they violate rules of conduct becoming an officer, a patrol spokesman said. He said conduct issues are very broad.

Wlodarsky was demoted from sergeant to trooper and transferred to the Norwalk post. He can never be reassigned to the Sandusky post and must attend a diversity awareness class.

Franklin was placed on a five-day unpaid suspension. He must also attend diversity awareness training, according to patrol documents.

Demuth was given a one-day suspension for failing to report the incident to a supervisor and forwarding the photo to a subordinate.

“Obviously, we’re extremely disappointed in the action of the three officers,” said Lt. Shawn Davis, a spokesman for the patrol. “This kind of conduct cannot and will not be tolerated.”

---

Print this story
Report an inappropriate comment

---

In order to comment, you must agree to our user agreement and discussion guidelines.

Need help? Email Us.

---