HORN LAKE, Miss. — The DeSoto County NAACP is calling for the City of Horn Lake to fire its animal shelter director over a controversial Facebook page.
Last month, Pat Hissong wrote, “Can we just kill them please and be done with this stupid [expletive]” in a post linking to an article about a Black Lives Matter protest.
“This should have been investigated by the FBI, because this statement is advocating mass murder,” said DeSoto County NAACP President Robert Tipton.
Tipton called a news conference outside Horn Lake City Hall Friday evening after learning Hissong had served a five-day suspension for the post. He’s demanding that the city fire Hissong.
“If they do not, someone will act on this, and there will be a riot in this great city of Horn Lake,” said Tipton.
After the press conference had ended, a longtime friend of Hissong’s came forward to defend her. It briefly set off a heated exchange with NAACP members.
“She poses no danger to anybody. We all have said things that we regret, and it’s time to move on,” said Strauss.
But given Hissong’s position, the NAACP says it’s impossible to move on from a post so troubling.
“If a black dog comes in, are you saying kill all the black dogs because they’re not your color, or they have a different opinion than you?” said James Mathis with the NAACP.
Strauss urged people to look at Hissong’s record as animal shelter director.
“People who have shelters and run shelters are looking now to Horn Lake as being from the bottom of the pile to the top of the pile,” she said.
Neither the mayor’s office nor Hissong responded to emails seeking comment.
Strauss said Hissong has been getting death threats since her post first gained attention.
