Four-year jail detention officer fired for ties with Ku Klux Klan

GAINESVILLE – In four years of working with the Alachua County Sheriff’s office with a nearly perfect performance record, detention officer Wayne Kerschner finally botched his file by joining one of the country’s most notorious hate groups.

A 10-month federal investigation into Kerschner revealed he has been an active member in the United Northern and Southern Knights of the Ku Klux Klan since December 2008 and acted as a state level officer of the group, holding the title of Exalted Cyclops. The investigation led to his termination with the sheriff’s office Dec. 30.

Before this revelation, a look at his personnel file shows only positive evaluations from supervisors and above satisfactory scores on yearly evaluations. On his October 2009 application for a correctional officer position, a supervisor remarked he had never been counseled or disciplined and had an “overall exemplary performance on evaluations of the last two years.”

Despite a clean record, Kerschner was fired based on his violation of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Directive stating “No employee will knowingly become a member of or be connected with any subversive or terrorist organization, except when necessary in the performance of duty and then only with the approval of the Sheriff.”

And though the KKK’s Web site claims it to be a political and not a violence-motivated group, The Anti-Defamation League characterizes the KKK as a terrorist organization and hate group because of its history of violence toward minorities and resistance toward civil rights for those who are not white Christians.

Kerschner’s membership in the KKK has mostly raised concerns because of his close interaction with inmates. As a detention officer, his job included removing, escorting and returning inmates to cells, responding to inmate disputes, maintaining physical custody and control of inmates, and preparing reports among other duties.

The investigation began in February 2009 when ACSO Detective Jody Branaman, who is a sworn federal agent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, contacted the Office of Professional Standards about Kerschner’s possible involvement with the KKK.  In September, Kerschner admitted to his involvement with the group during interviews with Branaman and other officers, according to the administrative investigation report.

According to the report, Kerschner  “believed in the ideology of the organization” and attended KKK meetings, blogged daily on the KKK Web site and paid $30 each month in dues along with his wife Shanda Lynn Kerschner, who is also a member.

Kerschner also told investigators he had attended two rallies in Tennessee and one in Fruitland Park, Fla., since his induction in the group. As an Exalted Cyclops, he conducts member meetings, ensures members comply with rules and follow up with those interested in joining.

He told investigators he joined the KKK because he felt it was a non-violent, faith based group and that he did not know of any members who had committed any crimes. During the investigation however, officers provided Kerschner with documents from The Anti-Defamation League regarding the KKK’s history as a terrorist group and its most infamous acts of violence, including the 1981 beating death of 19-year-old Michael Donald by KKK members and the group’s statement: “After a period of relative quiet, Ku Klux Klan activity has spiked noticeably upwards in 2006, as Klan Groups have attempted to exploit fears in America over gay marriage, perceived ‘assaults’ on Christianity, crime and especially immigration.”

Kerschner told investigators that he did not inform outsiders or any employees at the Sheriff’s Office of his involvement with the KKK to protect the image of the department.

He continued to say “I just wish in a way that I’d never gotten involved in all of this…If I could erase time, I would.”

“This is my personal/political/religious beliefs; it did not affect my job in any way, shape or form,” he continued in the report.

In addition to his four-year career with the ACSO, Kerschner has been a certified correctional officer for 16 years and applied for employment with Bradford County’s Lawtey Correctional Institution in October.