An attorney in Illinois has been dismissed from her position at the state's comptroller's office following the emergence of social media messages in which she engaged in an antisemitic rant.
According to a spokesperson for Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, Sarah Chowdhury, the legal counsel in question, was promptly terminated after the office became aware of the offensive Instagram messages. The spokesperson further revealed that Chowdhury had admitted to at least some of the posts. In response to the incident, the spokesperson emphasized that Comptroller Mendoza has a zero-tolerance policy towards antisemitism and hate speech.
In addition to losing her job at the comptroller's office, Chowdhury was also removed from her position as president of the South Asian Bar Association of Chicago. The bar group expressed deep sadness and horror over Chowdhury's words, acknowledging the harm they may have caused to friends, families, and colleagues, and offering apologies for any distress caused.
The offensive tirade occurred during a conversation between Chowdhury and an Instagram account under the name of Big Law Boiz. A screenshot of the conversation reveals Chowdhury making disturbing statements such as "Vermin should have all been killed decades ago," "Hopefully someone sends you anthrax or poison and you die a slow terrible death," and "Hitler should have eradicated all of you."
Big Law Boiz, who declined to provide Reuters with their real name, stated that the messages from Chowdhury were triggered by posts made on the account regarding media coverage of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. In an Instagram story post, Big Law Boiz identified themselves as a Jew with Israeli family and expressed support for the Palestinian cause in their quest for an independent state. They also urged others to recognize the humanity in one another and engage in dialogue rather than resorting to divisive tribalism.
The incident involving Chowdhury serves as a stark reminder of the importance of combating hate speech and fostering understanding and empathy in our society.
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