Officer loses jobs after Snapchat photo that mayor says has ‘troubling racial connotations’

CINCINNATI (WXIX/Gray News) - A police officer lost two jobs in six months after posting a Snapchat video with a filter that has “troubling racial connotations” over his face, according to public records.

Michael Resckhe sent a Snapchat photo of himself using the Balaclava ski mask filter to “a closed group.”

“I would also think I could trust my friends on Snapchat with a filter that looked racist not to be taken as anything else other than a joke,” according to a text message exchange between Reschke and another officer at the Lockland Police Department.

Reschke was first put on paid administrative leave before being fired by Lockland’s mayor two days later via email.

“You were placed on administrative leave on Aug. 23, 2023, in response to (a) complaint concerning a Snapchat photo you posted publicly that shows you in uniform, at the Village of Lockland police station, using a filter that possesses troubling racial connotations,” the mayor’s email states.

The mayor said the village “firmly stands by its decision” to terminate Reschke.

“The Village’s police department has no room for conduct that is racist or even creates the appearance of racism or poor judgment. This conduct does not meet the standard of conduct expected of its officers and will not be tolerated,” the mayor said.

Reschke’s attorney Steve Imm said what the village of Lockland did was a “disgrace.”

“It should be ashamed of what it has done to him. Michael is not a racist. He is not within 1,000 miles of being a racist. The worst part is that Lockland knew, or should’ve known, that Michael is not racist, but they chose to be cowardly instead of doing a reasonable, rational investigation,” Imm said.

A few weeks after this incident, Reschke was hired at the North College Hill Police Department.

In January, Lockland’s mayor reached out to North College Hill’s mayor for a meeting and about a letter sent to the mayor and Lockland Village Council “by one of your officers who also happens to be a recently fired Lockland police officer.”

“This letter is both very troubling and certainly unbecoming of any police officer representing a municipality,” according to village emails.

Reschke later resigned from the police department in February.

In March, Reschke filed a complaint with Mayor Nichols about North College Hill Police Chief Schrand alleging he was pushed out.

Reschke said he was notified in a Jan. 24 letter that a complaint was received “regarding a letter I allegedly sent to the village of Lockland. The official letter Chief Schrand placed in my mailbox says that I violated North College Hill’s Standards of Conduct Policy, but when asked specifically what section of the policy my F.O.P. rep Tom Fehr said he could not answer because he had no idea, but later admitted to ‘political pressure.’”

Reschke said in his complaint about the chief to Nichols that he wanted to “narrow down the section I violated.”

“I’ve also attached my written ‘investigation’ administered by Chief Schrand with the letter I wrote but did not distribute that was 63 days old between being sent to my attorney and distributed to Lockland. My complaint is I was secretly hired by North College Hill to cover road shortages and a recent (string) in terminations. I believe Ryan Schrand hid me from the mayor and had no intention of keeping me long-term with the City of North College Hill,” the complaint reads.

Reschke alleged that Schrand and others at the North College Hill Police Department told him that “what happened in Lockland wasn’t fair.”

“I just want to do what I was born to do...serve and protect the people with the skills I am fortunate to possess. I’m a good officer who just wants a chance to do his job without vendetta politics. I would be honored if you would give me just five minutes of your time to look at the real truth regarding the Village of Lockland,” the complaint reads.

WXIX reached out to Nichols and Shrand for comment, but they did not respond. Reschke denied a request to respond to the complaint.

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