By BIN
(Src: BIN)
Two Navy SEALs are facing disciplinary action after they were caught spreading racist memes of a fellow Black sailor.
According to NBC News, the Navy SEALs, who are enlisted as Team 4 members based in Virginia, are being punished for targeting a Black sailor in their platoon and circulating racist memes in a group chat with other team members.
A lawyer for the Black sailor said the memes depicted his client as a slave and a monkey.
“This was a very shocking case of explicit and repeated racist memes directed at our client in a platoon-wide text thread,” Timothy Parlatore, the sailor’s lawyer, said in a statement. “They modified his face in photos to look like a monkey and portrayed him as a chained slave on a slave ship, among others.”
According to a defense official, the racist memes surfaced in 2022 and circulated for years. The targeted sailor reported the incidents earlier this year after he had his qualifications and SEAL Trident revoked in 2024. The sailor said his failure to remain a SEAL was due to racist treatment.
Following an investigation by Naval Special Warfare Group 2, the sailor’s SEAL qualifications are being reinstated, and he will get back pay. The probe also determined that the platoon and SEAL Team 4 leaders failed to adequately address the sailor’s concerns about racist behavior and unjustly revoked his qualifications as a result.
The two enlisted SEALs behind the racist memes are facing non-judicial punishment and punitive letters in their files. Both actions could result in terminations, demotions, or a pay cut. The platoon and team leaders are also facing consequences, including disciplinary letters in their files.
In a statement, Naval Special Warfare Command said “accountability actions are ongoing” amid “serious allegations of unprofessional conduct within one of our commands.”
“We are dedicated to fostering a climate of dignity and respect, and after conducting a thorough and fair investigation, we will hold anyone found responsible of misconduct accountable.”
