WASHINGTON — D.C. Fire and EMS has concluded an investigation into a photo of Recruit Class 387 showing some recruits holding possible "white power" symbols, and found that those making the gesture were "playing a game and had no racist intentions."
The photo, which the department believes was taken in March 2019, began circulating across social media platforms last month. D.C. Fire and EMS said they became aware of the photo on Jan. 15.
The department said the investigation included several interviews, including individual interviews with all 22 recruits shown in the photo, and all interviewed recruits said they did not believe the three recruits making the symbol had racist or hateful intents, according to officials.
"The investigation found that the evidence fully supports that [the three members] never intended for their hand gesture to stand for any negative sign," D.C. Fire and EMS said in a press release. "They were credible in stating that they did not understand that such hand gesture could also mean a sign of white supremacy” at the time that they used it."
The press release quoted one recruit from Class 387, an unnamed African-American who was quoted saying, "Given what I learned about them, I don’t think they would ever intend for that hand gesture to mean anything racist. They are the kind of guys that would help anyone. They had a spirit of helping and encouraging others, irrespective of whether you are black or white."
D.C. Fire and EMS said that the three recruits who made the gesture regretted hurting or offending anyone, and were apologetic.
The investigative report concluded there were no Equal Employments Opportunity violations.
Fire and EMS Chief Gregory Dean said that department leaders have been made aware that moving forward "games of any kind will not be condoned or tolerated during the workday."
Read the full press release from D.C. Fire and EMS below:
This comes after the U.S. Military Academy and Naval Academy launched separate investigations into possible "white power" hand gestures flashed by a few students at the Army-Navy football game in December 2019.
Public affairs officers at both academies said via email that officers were appointed to conduct internal investigations and determine if disciplinary action was needed.
Several West Point cadets and Naval Academy midshipmen in the stands appeared to display the hand signal during an ESPN broadcast segment.
Some on social media argued that the cadets were simply saying "OK." Others argue they were playing the "Circle Game," which uses the same symbol. But in that game, the idea is to hold the "OK" below your waist to convince a second person to look at it. If the other person looks, they get punched in the shoulder.
The Anti-Defamation League says use of the symbol to express white power started popping up in 2017. But the group also says that since there are several meanings for it, including saying "OK," "Three Percenter" or the "Circle Game," care must be taken in determining how someone intended to use it.
The military investigation concluded that hand gestures flashed by West Point cadets and Naval Academy midshipmen during the televised Army-Navy football game were not racist signals.
A Navy probe of the event found that the students were "participating in a sophomoric game" and had no racist intent.
"The investigating officer concluded that the cadets were playing a common game, popular among teenagers today, known as the “circle game” and the intent was not associated with ideologies or movements that are contrary to the Army values," the U.S. Military Academy announced.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.