Investigation launched after Colorado employee hangs Black doll by neck in fire station

Lauren Penington, The Denver Post on Jul 29, 2026

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DENVER — An independent investigation has been launched into a March incident at the Golden Fire Department, where a Black doll was found hanging by the neck in a fire station stairwell, city officials announced Tuesday.

In a statement read before the Golden City Council on Tuesday night, Mayor Laura Weinberg described the incident as a “deeply disturbing and racist act.”

A novelty doll called “Snoop on the Stoop” — a parody of the “Elf on the Shelf” doll often seen around Christmas — had been moved around the fire station during the holidays, Weinberg said when reading the statement. In March, that doll was found hanging by its neck from a rope in a fire station stairwell, she said.

“The doll should never have been brought into any city facility, and the display evoked a horrific history of racial terror and violence,” Weinberg said. “The doll was removed immediately upon discovery.”

Golden officials launched an internal investigation and took unspecified disciplinary action after the incident, according to the statement. Later, when city employees outside the fire department learned of the incident and raised concerns, an independent investigation was launched.

As of Tuesday night, the employee responsible had not been publicly named but was “no longer employed” by the Golden Fire Department, Weinberg said. The statement did not specify if the employee quit or was fired.

“I want to sincerely apologize to our staff for the impact this situation has and will continue to have on our staff,” City Manager Scott Vargo wrote to Golden employees in an email obtained by Denver7. “No one should be made to feel anything less than valued, respected, and supported as a member of our team, and this incident and response has left staff questioning mine and the City’s commitment to those values.”

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