SAN BERNARDINO — Civil rights activists rallied outside government offices Wednesday, demanding that top gang prosecutor Michael Selyem be fired for offensive rants on social media and that all of his past cases be scrutinized for possible bias or misconduct.
“The insidious nature of Deputy (District Attorney) Selyems comments reveals a deep-seated hatred for women, the poor and people of color — a deadly sickness in his heart,” said Francine Brookins, pastor of Beth-El A.M.E. Church in Fontana and friend of Rep. Maxine Waters, whom Selyem attacked in a Facebook post.
“No healthy person wakes up in the morning and starts referring to women as (expletive) and bitches and wondering out loud why no one has shot them.”
Luis Nolasco, a Policy Advocate for the ACLU Southern California chapter, speaks during a press conference demanding that Deputy District Attorney Michael Selyem be fired for his offensive Facebook and Instagram rants on on Wednesday, July 11, 2018, outside the San Bernardino County Government Center in San Bernardino. (Photo by Stan Lim, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Local activists, including the San Bernardino chapters of the NAACP, ACLU, and IECAAC (Inland Empire Concerned African American Churches) held a press conference demanding that Deputy District Attorney Michael Selyem be fired for his offensive Facebook and Instagram rants on on Wednesday, July 11, 2018, outside the San Bernardino County Government Center in San Bernardino. (Photo by Stan Lim, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
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Local activists, including the San Bernardino chapters of the NAACP, ACLU, and IECAAC (Inland Empire Concerned African American Churches) held a press conference demanding that Deputy District Attorney Michael Selyem be fired for his offensive Facebook and Instagram rants on on Wednesday, July 11, 2018, outside the San Bernardino County Government Center in San Bernardino. (Photo by Stan Lim, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Local activists, including the San Bernardino chapters of the NAACP, ACLU, and IECAAC (Inland Empire Concerned African American Churches) held a press conference demanding that Deputy District Attorney Michael Selyem be fired for his offensive Facebook and Instagram rants on on Wednesday, July 11, 2018, outside the San Bernardino County Government Center in San Bernardino. (Photo by Stan Lim, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Francine Brookins, of Fontana, a friend of U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, speaks during a press conference outside the San Bernardino County Government Center in San Bernardino on Wednesday, July 11, 2018. Local activists, including the San Bernardino chapters of the NAACP, ACLU, and IECAAC (Inland Empire Concerned African American Churches) are demanding that Deputy District Attorney Michael Selyem be fired for his offensive Facebook and Instagram rants. U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters was one of the subjects targeted in the rants. (Photo by Stan Lim, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
A couple show their support during a press conference demanding that Deputy District Attorney Michael Selyem be fired for his offensive Facebook and Instagram rants on on Wednesday, July 11, 2018, outside the San Bernardino County Government Center in San Bernardino. (Photo by Stan Lim, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
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Representatives of the American Civil Liberties Unions San Bernardino office, Inland Empire Concerned African American Churches, the NAACP, and San Bernardino Pastors United were among those who participated in Wednesdays rally outside the San Bernardino County Government Center.
Selyem, a 50-year-old Placentia resident and former Orange County sheriffs deputy of seven years, is the lead prosecutor in the District Attorneys Hardcore Gang Unit, where he has worked for 12 years. Some have come to his defense, arguing his comments are no worse than Waters recent call for Democrats to “push back” and confront members of the Trump administration if seen in public and “tell them theyre not welcome.”
District Attorney Mike Ramos and Public Defender G. Christopher Gardner both said Monday that, prior to the internal complaints received by the District Attorneys Office in late June regarding Selyem, there had been no complaints about him or any indication of bias in his work.
Regardless, Selyems racist, sexist and xenophobic social media rants, first reported by the Southern California News Group, have spurred widespread public outcry across the country.
Among Selyems other social media postings include a Facebook meme of a smiling Mexican man wearing a sombrero with the words, “Mexican word of the day: Hide.”
In an online argument with someone over the police shooting of a civilian, Selyem wrote, “That s—bag got exactly what he deserved. … You reap what you sow. And by the way go f— yourself you liberal s—bag.”
It was unclear which police shooting Selyem was referencing.
Selyem also posted a doctored picture of Michelle Obama holding a sign saying, “Trump grabbed my penis.”
In another Facebook post, beneath a Breitbart News post about the Budweiser Super Bowl ad that celebrated the immigrant success story of the beer empires founder, Selyem wrote: “I am all for white males immigrating here legally and starting a business. It is the terrorist a–holes sneaking in here wanting to kill me an (sic) my family that I am opposed to. I cannot believe how shallow democrats are. They must really think people are stupid. I guess that is evident because they actually thought Hilary (sic) Clinton could win a presidential election … TWICE!!! LMFAO!!!”
Civil rights activists not only demanded that Selyem be fired, but that all cases he has prosecuted in the past 12 years, whether pending or closed, be heavily scrutinized.
“If comments such as Michael Selyems had been made against any member of the current (Trump) administration, I can pretty much guarantee there would be an FBI investigation going on right now. We call for nothing less and nothing short of that,” A. Majadi, president of the NAACP San Bernardino branch, said during the rally. “Theres no faith that we have in him that he can dispense justice fairly and equitably across the board, so for that reason, suspension is not good enough.”
On Thursday, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who condemned Selyem on Twitter earlier this week for his “vulgar, degrading and racist remarks,” plans a news conference at 11 a.m. at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in San Bernardino. Jackson reportedly will call for Selyem to be disbarred.
Selyem was hired in 1994 by the Orange County Sheriffs Department and promoted to deputy trainee in 1995. In 1996, he was promoted to deputy and worked in the jail until he retired in 2002, sheriffs spokeswoman Carrie Braun said.
It was unclear why Selyem spent his entire career as an Orange County sheriffs deputy working in the jail, usually a starting point for deputies before moving to patrol duty, then working their way up the ranks. San Bernardino County sheriffs spokeswoman Jodi Miller said rookie deputies typically work in the jails about two years.
Selyem graduated from UCLAs School of Law in 2004 before going to work for the San Bernardino County District Attorneys Office in 2006.
During a Monday news conference, Ramos said Selyem had been placed on paid leave, but did not say when. His office has refused to disclose that information.
“We will not be releasing any further details or information at this time,” district attorney spokesman Christopher Lee said in an email Wednesday.
Brookins said her coalition plans to file a complaint against Selyem next week with the State Bar Association accusing him of misconduct.
“We are certain that this disease in Deputy Selyems heart has impacted every prosecutorial decision he has made over the last 12 years,” she said.
San Bernardino County spokesman David Wert said the Board of Supervisors wields little power in issues involving civil servants, who are union-protected and entitled to due process.
“Theres a process that has to be followed. Theres an investigation. Its not something the county is doing as a stall tactic,” Wert said. “If employees in this situation arent given due process, the courts will reinstate them as employees, and whatever action the county eventually takes, the county wants it to be fair and the county wants it to stick, to be defensible.”
Robert Lovingood, chairman of the county Board of Supervisors, issued a statement Wednesday saying, “San Bernardino County stands for fairness, civility, equal justice under the law and the right to due process. The employee in question will be on leave and not performing the duties of a Deputy District Attorney pending the outcome of a formal investigation which could result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
“I support District Attorney Mike Ramos decision to request this investigation and will reserve further comment until the investigation is completed.”
Staff Writers Teri Sforza and Tony Saavedra contributed to this report.
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