Illinois Sheriff Admits Ethnic, Gender Slur on Facebook

A west-central Illinois county sheriff regrets he ever signed up for Facebook today, as a derogatory post he admits making is beginning to circulate around the Internet.

"I am extremely sorry," Schuyler County Sheriff Don Schieferdecker told AOL News this afternoon. "I have spent over 30 years of my life here giving public service, and I have never intentionally done anything to hurt anyone for any reason. ... All I can do is say I am sorry. ... I am extremely sorry [and] I beg people's forgiveness."

Schuyler County Sheriff Don L. Schieferdecker

Schuyler Co. Sheriff's Dept.

Schuyler County Sheriff Don Schieferdecker apologized for making a derogatory post on Facebook.

Schieferdecker made the comment under a photo of what appears to be a young boy with his mouth hanging open. The poster wrote: "Look, I found a fag," to which Schieferdecker replied in a post that has apparently been removed:

"Yup and his mouth is open, his glasses are off, he's ready, little fag Jew boy."

Contacted by AOL News, Sheriff Schieferdecker admitting making the comment:

"It was a -- what I thought to be a harmless joke between friends and employees that I wasn't aware of that was going out worldwide," Schieferdecker said. "I mean it was a response to a joke and it was sent out as a joke."

Scott Thompson, mayor of Rushville, Ill., was unavailable for comment. The following statement attributed to him has been posted online:

I've been asked by many to make a statement regarding the remarks the sheriff made on a Facebook page earlier this week. Don is my friend but I will not speak to his heart or thoughts. I do however want to speak to my responsibility as mayor.

I do not condone language which conveys discrimination or prejudice due to race, gender, sexual orientation, religion or national origin. Such language would reflect poorly upon the individual and the community.

Thompson did not say whether he planned to push for Schieferdecker's resignation.

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AOL News was notified about the Facebook comment by Angela Dunnagan, administrator and writer of the website Crime Crawlers.

"When I first saw the comment, I ended up reading it twice! I simply couldn't believe anyone, let alone the sheriff, could be so stupid," Dunnagan told AOL News. "Confronted about his comments on his own Facebook page, he [said he] was just 'jacking and pissing around'"

Sheriff Schieferdecker said he regrets his remarks, which he called an "embarrassing situation" but said he has no plans of resigning.