Regal Employee Update: Movie Theater Chain Fires Worker For 'Offensive' Tweets After Charleston Shooting

U.S. movie theater chain Regal Entertainment Group fired an employee who wrote inflammatory messages after the Charleston, South Carolina, shooting occurred Wednesday. The company issued a statement on its verified Twitter account and said the worker violated Regal's ethics.

“The individual does not represent Regal Entertainment Group. Her comments are offensive and she has engaged in behavior that violates everything which Regal stands for,” the statement read. “No representative from Regal has in any way consented or acknowledged her or the continuation of her employment. The alleged text from her GM is false. Rest assured that no Regal Entertainment Group guest, regardless of which Regal you frequent, will ever need to worry about any individual being employed by Regal that engages in such conduct.”

The fired employee appears to be Hyley DiBona. She tweeted that minorities “shouldn’t complain” and leave the country if they have a problem.

"White girls make it hard for minorities". You wonder why this continues. Statements like those.
— Hyley DiBona (@HyleyLowly) June 18, 2015

Don't complain about being a minority and say whites are a problem when your ancestors chose to come here knowing they would be a minority.
— Hyley DiBona (@HyleyLowly) June 18, 2015

Half of minorities might as well have "you should feel bad for being white" tattooed on their foreheads.
— Hyley DiBona (@HyleyLowly) June 18, 2015

IF YOU ARE A MINORITY AND DONT LIKE IT, GO BACK THATS WHAT FREEDOM IS
— Hyley DiBona (@HyleyLowly) June 18, 2015

My job has nothing to do with my Twitter thank you.
— Hyley DiBona (@HyleyLowly) June 18, 2015

I work at hooters too if you want to @ them
— Hyley DiBona (@HyleyLowly) June 18, 2015

pic.twitter.com/Sshwo3cvw8
— Hyley DiBona (@HyleyLowly) June 18, 2015

Before their official statement, Regal thanked netizens for alerting them about DiBona’s comments.

Thank you everyone for bringing an unfortunate situation to our attention. We do not support or condone this behavior in any way shape form.
— Regal Cinemas (@RegalMovies) June 18, 2015

Authorities arrested the shooting suspect, Dylann Storm Roof, 21, 200 miles away in North Carolina Thursday after nine people were shot and killed at Emanuel AME Church on Wednesday. Sylvia Johnson, a cousin of the church's slain pastor, told CNN that the suspect said, “You rape our women and you're taking over our country. And you have to go." It’s unknown how many people were in the church at the time of the shooting, the New York Times added.

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