Mayor John Whitmire on fired HFD cadets: 'We have zero tolerance for any racism'
KHOU 11
[{'start': '0.080', 'end': '3.600', 'text': 'Tonight, Houston Mayor John Whitmire'}, {'start': '1.680', 'end': '5.759', 'text': 'talking for the very first time about'}, {'start': '3.600', 'end': '8.400', 'text': 'the firing of a dozen Houston Fire'}, {'start': '5.759', 'end': '10.800', 'text': 'Department cadets let go for exchanging'}, {'start': '8.400', 'end': '12.480', 'text': 'racist messages between them. Victor'}, {'start': '10.800', 'end': '14.080', 'text': 'Hakobo live at Houston City Hall'}, {'start': '12.480', 'end': '17.400', 'text': 'tonight. What did the mayor have to say'}, {'start': '14.080', 'end': '17.400', 'text': 'here, Victor?'}, {'start': '18.000', 'end': '22.080', 'text': 'Yeah, Len. Uh, we had heard previously'}, {'start': '20.160', 'end': '24.240', 'text': 'from Houston Fire Department Chief'}, {'start': '22.080', 'end': '25.600', 'text': 'Thomas Munoz about this topic, but this'}, {'start': '24.240', 'end': '28.240', 'text': "is the first time we're hearing from"}, {'start': '25.600', 'end': '31.039', 'text': 'Mayor John Whitmire about it. I asked'}, {'start': '28.240', 'end': '32.719', 'text': 'him about this specific issue. He told'}, {'start': '31.039', 'end': '34.239', 'text': 'me that he was actually glad that I'}, {'start': '32.719', 'end': '36.079', 'text': 'asked about it because it gave him the'}, {'start': '34.239', 'end': '38.640', 'text': 'opportunity to make it clear that there'}, {'start': '36.079', 'end': '40.879', 'text': 'is no room for racism of any kind in his'}, {'start': '38.640', 'end': '43.040', 'text': 'administration and that extends to the'}, {'start': '40.879', 'end': '45.840', 'text': 'Houston Fire Department. Now, we first'}, {'start': '43.040', 'end': '48.079', 'text': 'told you about this story on Saturday. A'}, {'start': '45.840', 'end': '51.200', 'text': 'source familiar with what happened says'}, {'start': '48.079', 'end': '53.760', 'text': '12 HFD cadets sent each other racist'}, {'start': '51.200', 'end': '56.640', 'text': 'posts through a private group message on'}, {'start': '53.760', 'end': '58.640', 'text': 'Instagram. The exact content of those'}, {'start': '56.640', 'end': '61.359', 'text': 'messages or what was the group that was'}, {'start': '58.640', 'end': '63.280', 'text': 'targeted has not yet been shared. HFD'}, {'start': '61.359', 'end': '65.840', 'text': 'leadership learned about the issue and'}, {'start': '63.280', 'end': '68.880', 'text': 'the cadets were fired last month. Now,'}, {'start': '65.840', 'end': '71.200', 'text': 'training cadets costs about $100,000'}, {'start': '68.880', 'end': '73.280', 'text': 'each, meaning the city lost more than $1'}, {'start': '71.200', 'end': '75.520', 'text': 'million in what was invested into those'}, {'start': '73.280', 'end': '78.000', 'text': 'fire cadets. But John Mayor John'}, {'start': '75.520', 'end': '80.240', 'text': 'Whitmire says telling KOU 11 tonight the'}, {'start': '78.000', 'end': '84.400', 'text': 'firings were necessary.'}, {'start': '80.240', 'end': '86.159', 'text': 'We have zero tolerance for any racism.'}, {'start': '84.400', 'end': '88.960', 'text': "It cost a million dollars that we've"}, {'start': '86.159', 'end': '91.119', 'text': 'invested. I got to do the right thing.'}, {'start': '88.960', 'end': '93.439', 'text': 'You know, I sure hate to lose a million'}, {'start': '91.119', 'end': '95.079', 'text': 'dollars, but on the other hand, what'}, {'start': '93.439', 'end': '97.360', 'text': 'price do you put on'}, {'start': '95.079', 'end': '99.280', 'text': 'people doing the right thing and'}, {'start': '97.360', 'end': '103.079', 'text': 'respecting the people that they serve'}, {'start': '99.280', 'end': '103.079', 'text': 'that pay their salaries?'}, {'start': '103.680', 'end': '107.200', 'text': 'Now, those 12 cadets that were'}, {'start': '105.280', 'end': '110.079', 'text': 'dismissed, they were dismissed on April'}, {'start': '107.200', 'end': '112.720', 'text': "18th. That's just days before the cadet"}, {'start': '110.079', 'end': '114.560', 'text': 'graduation on April 24th. For now,'}, {'start': '112.720', 'end': '116.560', 'text': 'reporting live outside Houston City'}, {'start': '114.560', 'end': '117.920', 'text': 'Hall, Victor Hakabo, Khou 11 News.'}, {'start': '116.560', 'end': '119.759', 'text': "Certainly story that's gotten a lot of"}, {'start': '117.920', 'end': '122.560', 'text': 'attention over the past few days. Thank'}, {'start': '119.759', 'end': '122.560', 'text': 'you, Victor.'}]