This guy loved him some Tupac
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IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The director of Iowa’s social services agency was a huge fan of the late rapper Tupac Shakur, and he frequently let his subordinates know it.
Emails obtained by The Associated Press show that Iowa Department of Human Services Director Jerry Foxhoven routinely sent messages to employees lauding Shakur’s music and lyrics even after at least one complained to lawmakers. Then last month, he sent another such email to all 4,300 agency employees. He was abruptly ousted from his job the next work day.
Foxhoven, 66, told employees that he had been a huge fan of the hip-hop artist for years. He hosted weekly “Tupac Fridays” to play his music in the office. He traded lyrics with employees and he marked his own 65th birthday with Shakur-themed cookies, including ones decorated with the words “Thug life.”
The agency released 350 pages of emails with the words “Tupac” or “2Pac” sent to and from Foxhoven during his two-year tenure in response to an AP request. They show that Foxhoven marked the anniversary of Shakur’s death, shared one of his lyrics about love on Valentine’s Day and used the rapper’s image to try to improve the agency’s culture. He told colleagues he was inspired by lyrics that included: “It’s time for us as a people to start makin’ some changes.”
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For those interested, this is
FYI, this is the email announcing his departure.
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This guy's turned into a hero
This guy's turned into a hero on Twitter.
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Straight up baller.
Straight up baller.
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You're goddamn right Dave.
You're goddamn right Dave. This old codger loves him some hip-hop.
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UPDATE: Mr. Foxhoven is
UPDATE: Mr. Foxhoven is preparing to file a wrongful termination lawsuit. Hope his effort turns out to be a fruitful one. Yet another example of society trying to hold the man down.
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The ousted Iowa Department of Human Services director will pursue a wrongful termination lawsuit, alleging he was let go after objecting to a pay arrangement for the governor's deputy chief of staff, his lawyer said Wednesday.
Jerry Foxhoven will file a whistleblower claim with the State Appeal Board, the first step toward pursuing a lawsuit against state government, his attorney Tom Duff said.
Foxhoven is expected to announce the action at a news conference Thursday. It's the latest development stemming from a personnel decision that has put Gov. Kim Reynolds on the defensive and prompted inquiries by state and federal watchdogs.
Foxhoven was asked to resign during a meeting with the governor's chief of staff, Sara Craig Gongol, in June. The governor's office didn't give a reason. Earlier this month, Reynolds' spokesman wouldn't confirm or deny whether Foxhoven's workplace praise for rapper Tupac Shakur played a role.
Foxhoven hosted weekly “Tupac Fridays” to play Shakur's music in the office. He traded lyrics with employees and he marked his own 65th birthday with Shakur-themed cookies, including ones decorated with the words “Thug life.”
He routinely sent messages to employees lauding Shakur’s music and lyrics even after at least one complained to lawmakers. Then last month, he sent another such email to all 4,300 agency employees. He was fired June 17, the first full business day after he sent the mass email.
After stories about Foxhoven's Tupac fandom and firing went viral, the governor said she'd never heard of the rap icon and that "of course" that wasn't the reason.
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Keep ya head up, Jerry.
Keep ya head up, Jerry.