Deputy Prosecutor In Hancock County Fired Over Posts About Election

Source: WISH-TV / WISH-TV

GREENFIELD, Ind. — Shortly after the election a deputy prosecutor in Hancock County was fired by her boss over social media posts she made expressing her displeasure with the outcome.

Jordan Ouellette Stroh posted on X once the presidential election was called for Donald Trump saying “If you voted for Trump, please unfriend me. You disgust me and clearly don’t respect me or other human beings.”

She took things a step further on Facebook by reposting this quote from author A.R. Moxon.

“Historians have a word for Germans who joined the Nazi party, not because they hated Jews, but out of a hope for restored patriotism, or a sense of economic anxiety, or a hope to preserve their religious values, or dislike of their opponents, or raw political opportunism, or convenience, or ignorance, or greed. That word is ‘Nazi.’ Nobody cares about their motives anymore. They joined what they joined. They lent their support and their moral approval. And, in so doing, they bound themselves to everything that came after. Who cares anymore what particular knot they used in the binding.”

Prosecutor Brent Eaton saw the posts and fired Stroh shortly after in a letter saying that she essentially called many of the people she is tasked with serving in Hancock County ‘Nazis’ and that these posts make it appear she is unable to fairly represent them.

“It is impossible for the public, your colleagues, and law enforcement to have confidence in you and believe that you are going to make decisions based only on the law and facts when you have publicly referred to large parts of the community in the manner referenced above on your social media account,” said Eaton in the letter.

“To be 100% clear, my opinion on this subject would be the same if it had been any member of this staff referring to supporters of the current Vice-President in a similar manner,” he continued.

In a statement, Stroh said, “As a former prosecutor, it is disheartening to see that I was let go from my position due to my passion for the rights of all individuals. My personal opinions as to those who I wish to interact with in my personal life have no bearing on my ability to be fair and impartial.”

However, IU law professor Steve Sanders believes that Eaton has a legitimate point in firing Stroh.

“I worry that these comments could very easily lead people to believe this is not a prosecutor who is able to do her job fairly,” Sanders said.

Sander said the situation revolves around whether or not Eaton may have violated Stroh’s First Amendment rights. he said it all comes down to context.

“Even if she had written a letter, or tweeted, expressing concerns about Trump’s foreign policy, or what Trump was going to do with the Department of Education I think there would be a strong argument there her first amendment rights would prevail,” Sanders said. “Here where she not only expressed political views about Trump she attacked the people who are supporting Trump and so I think that just changes the calculus.”