NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Police Cmdr. William Drossman has been cleared of accusations of sending a racially-charged e-mail about Barack Obama to fellow officers, but he was "counseled" against using city property for personal use -- in this case a computer in his office at police headquarters.
The summary of an investigation concluded last month by city-hired outside counsel Mark E. Levitt concluded there was "no specific racist or inappropriate conduct by Drossman in forwarding an e-mail a couple of months back that contained writings from two of Obama's books that a police officer told an Orlando television station had racial overtones because the e-mail chain message portrayed the Democratic nominee as anti-white and urged against supporting his candidacy.
The complaining officer was not identified by WFTV Channel 9 nor by the city, which led to the city's investigation of Drossman.
Drossman, a nine-year veteran, readily acknowledged forwarding the e-mail sent by a former colleague onto two other officers, but denied any racial intent, saying his mistake was using his office computer at the spur of the moment when he realized he had forgotten to do it earlier on his home computer.
Though cleared of the racial charge, Drossman committed a "technical violation" of city rules against using city equipment for personal use.
Police Chief Ronald Pagano sent Drossman a letter dated Oct. 13 that stated in part: "After reviewing the facts contained within the letter of Mark E. Levitt, I am admonishing you relative to the technical violation of the city's e-mail policy to comply with the provisions of the policy. As I read his letter, I observed no other violations that have been sustained thereof." Drossman, 53, said he realizes now he was wrong to use the city computer for personal use though he said "90 percent of city employees do the same thing."
Pagano and other city officials have declined comment on the situation.
Calls for Drossman to either resign or be fired have been made on a weekly basis by "The Shadow" at NSBShadow.com, published by Nahum Litt, a retired federal judge who lives in New Smyrna Beach and focuses on city politics.
The Shadow wrote on his Web site this week that the investigation of Drossman by the city is akin to Rosemary Woods erasing part of Richard Nixon's tapes as part of Watergate because 15 minutes of Levitt's audiotape is missing. There's even a picture of Nixon's former secretary on the home page.
Litt said on his Web site that he doesn't buy the city's explanation that a portion of the recording was missing because someone there didn't readily realize the tape had run out.
NSBNEWS.net photo by Sera King: Cutline: New Smyrna Beach police Cmdr. William Drossman poses for a picture after speaking to the New Smyrna Beach VFW during a 9/11 remambrance ceremony.