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A Golden, Colorado, city manager is out of a job after the city council voted unanimously to fire him over his handling of a racist incident involving a Snoop Dogg doll at the fire department.
Scott Vargo got the ax on Tuesday after the council decided his response to the March incident didn’t cut it.
That’s when a “Snoop on a Stoop” doll, a parody of the “Elf on the Shelf” toy designed to look like Snoop Dogg, was found hanging by its neck from a rope in a fire station stairwell.
The city moved fast initially. They launched an investigation right away and fired the employee who put the doll there.
But when other city workers found out about it weeks later, they weren’t happy with how leadership handled things. That’s when the real fallout started.
“This is an extremely difficult moment for our City, but maintaining trust is fundamental to leadership,” Mayor Laura Weinberg said. “We are committed to accountability, meaningful change, and doing the work necessary to rebuild trust.”
City officials admitted they messed up. In a July statement, they said their response “fell far short” and “failed” employees and residents.
They acknowledged the doll wasn’t just some dumb workplace prank; it carried serious historical weight tied to racial violence and terror.
“It can undoubtedly cause fear, anger, grief, and a profound loss of trust. No one should ever question whether they are respected, valued or safe in a City workplace or while receiving services from the City of Golden,” the city said.
The council voted to bring in an interim city manager effective immediately.
They’re also moving forward with an independent third-party investigation to dig into what happened, how leadership responded, and what needs to change in the organization’s culture.
