Maryland corrections and public safety secretary Stephen T. Moyer has fired one of his new hires for an "inappropriate comment made on social media," the agency confirmed.
Michael A. Allred, a retired state trooper who was hired by Moyer to run the StateStat program and work as a police liaison, was terminated Thursday afternoon.
Officials said that he posted a comment on Facebook saying he had been "visiting the prisons, haven't been groped this much since the flight on the honeymoon … and this is just the guards!" He "tagged" Moyer in the post, according to a screenshot.
The agency has been under fire after a joint investigation with federal authorities revealed a corruption scandal that included allegations that corrections officers were having sex with inmates.
Allred could not be reached for comment.
"The secretary has the utmost respect for correctional officers and requires all employees to respect the department, their authority, and their peers," Moyer said in a statement.
Moyer, a former state trooper, was appointed by Gov. Larry Hogan in December.