Geris Hilton, the former Polaris Marketing Group employee, accumulated a slew of racially-charged comments on the photo until social media users came to the defense of the young boy.
The Atlanta-based company announced via Facebook that they have terminated the employee in question and “will ensure that none of the businesses that we associate with will ever do business with him again.”
Polaris Group President posted the following on Facebook
This morning I was disgusted to learn that one of my former employees made several racially charged comments on his personal Facebook page. Even worse, the comments were directed toward the son of another employee.
It breaks my heart that Sydney and her adorable son Cayden were subjected to such hateful, ignorant and despicable behavior. Cayden visits my office almost every afternoon after daycare, he’s sat at my dinner table and I consider him a part of the PMG family.
The atrocious lies, slander and racism he and his mother have been forced to endure are wholly intolerable. Myself and the entire PMG family in no way condones this kind of behavior and would never willingly associate with anyone who does.
It has no place in the world.
PMG has terminated the employee responsible and will ensure that none of the businesses that we associate with will ever do business with him again.
Sincerely,
Michael Da Graca Pinto
President
Polaris Marketing Group, Inc
Story:
In the photo, Hilton was taking a selfie at work, alongside a little cute black boy who is the son of one of his now-former co-workers—a dandy woman by the name of Sydney.
All was seemingly fine, until Hilton and his friends started making racist jokes about the photo in the comments section on Facebook, insinuating that the little boy, whose name is Cayden, was a slave, and Hilton the slave master.
The photo has made its way around the Internet. As you guessed it, pink slips are flying and heads are rolling because of the racist shenanigans afoot in the photo’s comments section. “I didn’t know you were a slave owner,” a poster by the name of Emily Irene Red reportedly said. NewsOne reports, Emily Irene Red, one of the commenters, has allegedly been fired by her employer as well.
The child’s mother, Sydney, took to social media to do something no mother should need to do — defend her young son against false, racist comments, inspiring the hashtag #HisNameIsCayden.
This is Cayden Jace! The love of my life, the apple in my eye, my EVERYTHING. All this lovely personality wrapped up into one small person’s body. When people hear about him, these are the pictures I want them to know about. Not that disturbing image and its comments. We are above all of this nonsense that has been going on. Cayden and I truly appreciate all of the love that we have been shown in the last 24 hours. You guys warm my heart, more than words could ever express.This little guys has every piece of my heart, he is my world and #HisNameIsCayden
