A U.S. Navy sailor who claimed someone had written a racial slur on his bed has been disciplined after he reportedly staged the incident.
Marquie Little, 27, an African-American crew member aboard the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier, used a pseudonym to post photos of the slur Nov. 15, the Navy Times reported. As of Friday, the Facebook post had garnered 20,500 shares.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service conducted an investigation and found inconsistencies in Little’s account, a naval spokesman said Friday.
Little denied staging the incident. The sailor was reportedly not charged with a crime but faced disciplinary action and additional counseling and training.
Despite having disproven Little’s claims, the Navy provided additional crew training and reemphasized that racism would not be tolerated.
Earlier in the fall, racial slurs were found on the dorm message boards of five black cadet candidates at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado. One cadet admitted writing the slurs, the Air Force later said.