Park Ranger, 51 year old Deryl Nelson, has been dancing while at work at Coolidge Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee for years, and visitors have said that his dancing made park visitors happy as he appeared to be enjoying both his life and his job.
However, not all visitors appreciated his dancing, and one, Melissa Parsons, recently filmed his gyrations and posted them online. She said that she felt his dancing was not what she expected to see in the park, especially not from a grown man in uniform. She went on to say that that some of his dance moves were not suitable for children and parents had to cover their children’s eyes to prevent them from watching him. She appeared to be especially incensed when he was lying on the ground doing what appeared to be pelvic thrusts.
Subsequently, having watched the footage, his employers said that his dancing was “unbecoming conduct” and that he should be concentrating on his work rather than dancing. They then fired him from his job, which he had held for seven years.
This is not the first time Nelson has been in hot water. He has already been suspended for crashing a car while on duty, and last year was suspended again for speaking inappropriately to a fellow worker.
On the other hand, he has also won an award from the police for having helped to save a woman’s life after she fell into the river last year.
Nelson said that he should not have lost his job as his moves were not that inappropriate, and park visitors said they could not understand why he was fired when he was simply trying to entertain people.
He is now drumming up support to try and get his job back as his story gets out.