Those who rely on the liberal media may not have heard about the brutal assault of a white couple by a group of predominantly young black individuals in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Friday night. Had the races been reversed, of course, videos of the attacks would have played on an endless loop.
As negligent as the media was in covering this story, an equally troubling issue was the unusually long delay between the incident and the response by local law enforcement.
On Monday afternoon, Cincinnati Police Chief Terri Theetge finally spoke to the press. After briefing reporters on the status of the case, she turned to her audience. Directing a sharp, accusatory gaze toward the reporters gathered before her, she said:
Another topic I want to cover real quick — social media and journalism and the role it plays in this incident, and yes guys, that’s you. That is you.Social media, the posts that we have seen, does not depict the entire incident.That is one version of what occurred. At times, social media and mainstream media and their commentaries are a misrepresentation of the circumstances surrounding any given event.That causes us some difficulties in thoroughly investigating the activity and enforcing the law. Social media posts and your coverage of it distorts the context of what actually happened, and that makes our job more difficult.
One reporter asked the obvious question: “What was distorted?”
Theetge replied, “Yeah, so I think the irresponsibility with social media is it just shows one side of the equation quite frequently without context, without factual context. And then people run with that, and then it grows legs. And it becomes something bigger that we then have to try to manage as part of the investigation.”
She never specified which facts had been distorted, but with that, she turned to another reporter for the next question.
Rumors circulating on social media suggest that, prior to the attack, the victim may have slapped a black man in the face. Did that incident provoke a mob to brutally assault a white man and his female companion?
If so, did the police chief view that alleged provocation as justification for the brutal response that followed?
Well, we don’t know. What is clear, however, is that Theetge appeared deeply concerned about the optics of a black group violently attacking a white couple.
Naturally, the public is interested in understanding what happened. We typically rely on both local and national media, as well as local law enforcement, to provide us with accurate and timely information when things like this occur. But when those institutions fail to fulfill their responsibilities to keep the public informed—particularly when the details of a case don’t align with their preferred narratives—it’s no surprise that people turn to social media to fill in the gaps.
The police chief should have saved her condemnation for the thugs responsible for this vile act.
As it turns out, this wasn’t the first time her left-leaning positions have drawn criticism.
Theetge made headlines just two months ago. At the time, Newsweek reported:
Four veteran members of the Cincinnati Police Department filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city and Police Chief Teresa Theetge, alleging workplace discrimination in personnel assignments and promotions.The officers claimed they were bypassed for preferred positions in favor of minority and female lieutenants, despite meeting qualifications, according to the lawsuit.The lawsuit … named the city and Theetge in both her individual and official capacities, alleging they participated in “intentional and discriminatory practices” that favored women and minorities.The four officers alleged in their lawsuit that the city and Theetge developed and enforced assignment, hiring, and promotional processes that demonstrate “a systemic practice of discrimination against white males.”
In the social media post below, one woman rightly points out that Theetge “seems to have a personal problem with white people, specifically white men. She’s being sued for discrimination. We saw the video, the violence was not exaggerated, now the FBI is getting involved because the local DA can’t be trusted.”
Although the seeds of DEI were planted before the Biden administration, it was under former President Joe Biden’s leadership that this toxic ideology began to explode throughout corporate America and government institutions. What began as a suggested framework for inclusivity quickly morphed into a mandatory system of compliance—one that demanded adherence, often at the expense of merit, clarity, and individual judgment.
Some complied quietly to safeguard their careers. Others, like Theetge, appear to have embraced DEI not just as policy, but as a personal worldview. Yet now, as the cultural and institutional backlash grows, the costs of rigidly filtering every situation through the lens of DEI are becoming increasingly clear. The bloom is off the rose—and those who remain tethered to this ideology may find themselves out of step with a public demanding transparency, fairness, and accountability over ideology-driven optics.
And yes, Chief Theetge, that’s you. That is you.
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
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