Selmer officer shares controversial Facebook post

SELMER, Tenn. — An officer in Selmer shares a post on Facebook some are calling racist.

The post was shared by Selmer Police Lt. Ron Pilkington on his personal Facebook page. It’s a quote attributed to Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger, which is not an exact quote.

We spoke with the Mayor of Selmer who said he, the police chief, Pilkington and members of the NAACP had a meeting Monday about the post.

We also reached out to the Selmer police chief. He told us there will be disciplinary action taken against the officer and all of this was a big misunderstanding.

Chief Neal Burks says Pilkington shared the post without knowing how to add his own comments about why he was sharing it.

Pilkington posted an apology on Facebook. “I would like to sincerely apologize for a picture I shared the other day depicting Margaret Sanger and a quote she made depicting racism,” the apology read. “Close friends, co-workers and family who truly know me, know that I am not racist, nor have I ever been.”

Selmer Mayor John Smith also said they were happy with how the meeting went and that he’s looking to move forward.