Two Riverdale Park employees suspended for noose incident

County state’s attorney’s office will determine if alleged act constitutes hate crime

‘‘We felt that it was appropriate to get the two employees in question out of public works until the investigation can be completed,” he said. ‘‘We want to look at the incident, what happened before and after.”

Archer said the town has been in contact with Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glenn Ivey’s office, which will determine if the incident could be considered a hate crime.

‘‘What it is, clearly, is a huge violation of Riverdale Park town policy,” Archer said, stressing that the town does not tolerate acts of discrimination or harassment. ‘‘The strongest measure justified will be taken against the people who did it, but we can’t act hastily...We want to know the whole story.”

The 13 employees who make up the Department of Public Works are ‘‘as diverse as the town itself,” Archer said, including blacks, whites and immigrants from many nations.

Councilwoman Alice Ewen Walker (Ward 1) said the town is taking the investigation very seriously.

‘‘It’s a sad event for everyone in the town,” she said.

Riverdale resident Nancy Augustine said she was very upset when she found out about the incident.

‘‘I’m angry that two people — town employees, no less — would do something so stupid to make my town look so bad. Although it could have happened anywhere, it’s an unfortunate reminder of what PG used to be, a place where a lot of people would think that putting up a noose is funny,” she said in an e-mail. ‘‘At the same time, I’m very happy that it’s not being tolerated. Hurray for Vern [Archer], making such a strong statement that this is not what we are about.”

Archer said he hopes the town will be able to learn from the incident and move forward.

‘‘[I hope to] make a town government where something like this will be less likely to happen in the future,” he said.

E-mail Maya T. Prabhu at mprabhu@gazette.net.