“Watermelon-Gate” – Top US Marshal Placed on Leave For Placing Watermelon on Desk of Black Deputy Assistant Director

A top US Marshal has been placed on leave for an alleged racist incident.

Peter Marketos was placed on leave after a watermelon was reportedly placed on the desk of a black deputy assistant director.

According to CBS News, it is unclear if Peter Marketos or someone under his supervision placed the watermelon on the desk.

Deputies within the department dubbed the scandal “Watermelon-gate.”

CBS News reported:

One of the top officials at the U.S. Marshals Service has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation over his alleged involvement in a racist incident targeting a Black colleague, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.

Peter Marketos, the assistant director of the Investigative Operations Division, was relieved of his duties after he was allegedly involved in an incident in which a watermelon was left on the desk of a deputy assistant director, who is Black. That employee worked directly under Marketos in the same division, the sources said.

It was not immediately clear what prompted the incident — which some deputies are calling “watermelon-gate.” It was also not immediately clear whether Marketos placed the fruit himself, or if it was placed by someone else under his supervision.

“The U.S. Marshals Service takes seriously any allegation of misconduct by USMS personnel,” a spokesperson said.

“The alleged actions do not reflect the core values of the USMS: Justice, Integrity and Service. While we recognize the public interest in transparency and accountability, federal privacy laws prohibit discussion of personnel matters.”

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