{"id":3183,"date":"2026-07-29T19:03:46","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T19:03:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=3183"},"modified":"2026-07-29T19:03:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T19:03:46","slug":"investigation-launched-after-golden-employee-hangs-black-doll-by-neck-in-fire-station","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=3183","title":{"rendered":"Investigation launched after Golden employee hangs Black doll by neck in fire station"},"content":{"rendered":"
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An independent investigation has been launched into a March\u00a0incident at the Golden Fire Department, where a Black doll was found hanging by the neck in a fire station stairwell, city officials announced Tuesday.<\/p>\n

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In a statement read before Golden City Council on Tuesday night, Mayor Laura Weinberg described the incident as a \u201cdeeply disturbing and racist act.\u201d<\/p>\n

A novelty doll called \u201cSnoop on the Stoop\u201d \u2014 a parody of the \u201cElf on the Shelf\u201d doll often seen around Christmas \u2014 had been moved around the fire station during the holidays, Weinberg said when reading the statement. In March, that doll was found hanging by its neck from a rope in a fire station stairwell, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe doll should never have been brought into any city facility, and the display evoked a horrific history of racial terror and violence,\u201d Weinberg said. \u201cThe doll was removed immediately upon discovery.\u201d<\/p>\n

Golden officials launched an internal investigation and took unspecified disciplinary action after the incident, according to the statement. Later, when city employees outside the fire department learned of the incident and raised concerns, an independent investigation was launched.<\/p>\n

As of Tuesday night, the employee responsible had not been publicly named but was \u201cno longer employed\u201d by the Golden Fire Department, Weinberg said. The statement did not specify if the employee quit or was fired.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also want to sincerely apologize to our staff for the impact this situation has and will continue to have on our staff,\u201d Golden City Manager Scott Vargo wrote to city employees in an email on Friday, a copy of which was sent anonymously to The Denver Post. \u201cNo one should be made to feel anything less than valued, respected, and supported as a member of our team, and this incident and response has left staff questioning mine and the City\u2019s commitment to those values.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vargo\u2019s email stated that \u201ca shocked and upset employee saw the doll and it was ordered to be taken down immediately.\u201d The incident was \u201chandled with the seriousness warranted by the egregious nature of the conduct,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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An internal investigation led to \u201csignificant disciplinary action,\u201d Vargo wrote in the email. He did not specify the action that was taken.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe act of tying (the doll) to a rope was shocking and intolerable behavior,\u201d Vargo wrote. \u201cSteps have been taken to make that clear within the department and to develop and embrace a work environment that is welcoming, respectful, and safe for everyone, and one in which conduct like this does not go unchecked at any level of the organization.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the Tuesday night meeting, the Golden City Council spoke out against the incident.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am deeply saddened and disturbed by the racist incident, and it is racist, that occurred and the pain it has caused members of our community and our staff,\u201d Councilmember Emily Kurzinski said. \u201cRacism has no place in the city of Golden. \u2026 While we do not yet have all the answers, I want everyone to know that your voices matter and you are being heard, and we are committed to doing better.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The incident harmed both employees\u2019 and the community\u2019s trust in the city, Councilmember Patty Evans said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMeaningful accountability is not about punishment alone, but is about acknowledging the seriousness of what occurred, demonstrating transparency, rebuilding trust and ensuring that no employee ever has reason to question whether racism will be treated with the urgency and seriousness it deserves,\u201d Evans said, reading from an email sent to her by an affected employee.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a lot of work to do to repair that trust,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

This is a developing story and may be updated.<\/em><\/p>\n

Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more Six months out from planting roots in Boulder, Sundance unveils expanded film lineup<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An independent investigation has been launched into a March incident at the Golden Fire Department, where a Black doll was found hanging by the neck.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1325,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colorado-news","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nInvestigation launched after Golden employee hangs Black doll by neck in fire station - Colorado Springs Moverss<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=3183\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Investigation launched after Golden employee hangs Black doll by neck in fire station - 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