Reality TV star Stephanie Ford appeared on the Dr. Phil show to share her claims of being sexually abused by her father. After the appearance, in February 2015, off-duty police officers participated in a Mardi Gras parade float mocking Ford and her alleged sexual assault experience.
Three Baton Rouge police officers participated in displaying an unflattering photo of Ford with the text, "A Face Only a Daddy Could Love." This was clearly meant to shame the "Sons of Guns" star and make light of her story.
Off-duty or not, making light of sexual abuse is unacceptable conduct for police officers. The police have a duty to protect sexual abuse victims. Shaming alleged victims discourages people from coming forward and seeking help, and desensitizes police and the public. Please sign the petition to urge the Baton Rouge Police Department to suspend these three officers without pay, and to require sensitivity training for all their officers to prevent a situation like this from happening in the future.
We are concerned with the inappropriate conduct of three Baton Rouge police officers who participated in a Mardi Gras parade float mocking an alleged sexual abuse victim.
"Sons of Guns" star Stephanie Ford appeared on the Dr. Phil show to share her claims of being sexually abused by her father. After her appearance, three off-duty officers participated in displaying an unflattering photo of Ford with the text, "A Face Only a Daddy Could Love." This was clearly meant to shame the "Sons of Guns" star and make light of her story.
Off-duty or not, making light of sexual abuse is unacceptable conduct for police officers. As you know, the police have a duty to protect sexual abuse victims. Shaming alleged victims discourages people from coming forward and seeking help, and desensitizes police and the public. We respectfully urge you to suspend these three officers without pay, and to require sensitivity training for all your officers to prevent a situation like this from happening in the future. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider our petition.
