ORLANDO, Fla. -- Hilton Grand Vacations has fired an employee who posted a racist meme that depicted Florida State football coach Willie Taggart being lynched.

  • FSU fan posts racist meme of football coach
  • Image showed black man being lynched
  • Fan loses job with Hilton Grand Vacations 

The Orlando-based company initially suspended the employee on Sunday while the incident was investigated. By Monday, the company announced he had been fired.

"Our concern regarding this situation has been a top priority," the company said in a statement. "The person responsible for posting this information has been terminated. His behavior was in violation of multiple compnay policies and the furthest example from being a reflection of our company's values."

According to Florida State attorney Jack Campbell FDLE, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and FSU Police are working together on the investigation.

Joel Brooks has lived in this Windermere Community in Orange County for nearly a decade.

He said his neighbor Tom Shand is the user who reportedly made this post on social media depicting Florida State head football coach Willie Taggard with a rope around his neck.

“Seeing that picture is just a disgusting act for me personally as being a man of color, to see that posted,” Brooks said.

That picture was posted in a Facebook group for FSU fans after the Seminoles 41-14 loss to the Gators. Florida State University President John Thrasher making a statement on social media over the weekend calling the post “ignorant and despicable”

Brooks who says he often speaks to his neighbor is still in disbelief.

“We all know that back in the day those things took place but we are in 2018 now and the effectives of back then are something we are trying to do away from,” Brooks said.

When asked specifically about Tom Shand, the state attorney would only confirm that the name is associated with the user who posted the message they are investigating.

Spectrum News Digital Media Producer Ashley Carter contributed to this report.