Casselberry officer punished after using racial slur in texting conversation

CASSELBERRY, Fla., May 14 (UPI) -- Officer Matthew Blunt of the Casselberry Police Department let his jokes about winning $32 go a little too far in a conversation with his supervisor.

He sent an Internet meme of a cartoon with an with graphic language and a racial slur in a group text from his personal phone to his corporal, Kristine Pamatian's city-owned phone, WFTV reports.

The apparent scandal has some residents upset, while netizens are responding with surprise that the story has gained attention at all.

"You are a grown man. You know your responsibilities. You know somebody is going to see that. You should think before you send something. He's a higher figure," Florida resident Cassie Daughenbaugh told the network.

But the question of using humor from the Internet in the workplace has been raised in the comments and on social media. Is the text message worth the scandal?

The news comes soon after the department's police chief resigned after a previous texting scandal.

Blunt is being punished with a 10-hour shift with no pay. He has been on the force in Casselberry since 2010, and has no other disciplinary measures on his record, according to officials.

See images of the conversation here.