An executive vice president at RWJBarnabas Health has been placed on administrative leave, pending an investigation into a racially charged Facebook comment she posted regarding the placement of armed officers in Fair Lawn schools.

“Who is going to train them not to shoot black children first?” Michellene Davis commented Wednesday under a link to the NorthJersey.com story posted on Facebook. The comment has since been deleted.

Davis, former chief policy counsel to former New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, posted an apology on her Facebook page Thursday morning for what she called “an extremely insensitive and offensive comment.” As of Thursday afternoon, it appears Davis has deleted her Facebook page.

“My concern for the safety of schoolchildren and gun violence led me to react to a headline without thinking,” she wrote. “Having a late sister and other family in law enforcement I deeply respect the law enforcement community and appreciate their service and admire their sacrifice."

Officer Luis Vasquez, president of Fair Lawn PBA Local 67, called the comment "disgusting" in a response on the PBA Facebook page, but said the apology is a step in a positive direction.

"We are held to the highest standards and pride ourselves in our professionalism and our love for our community, especially our schools and children," he wrote. "Michellene Davis is also a professional and is held to those same standards as every civilized human should be."

Fair Lawn Schools Superintendent Nick Norcia said he could not be more proud of the officers placed in district schools and the positive relationships being forged on a daily basis.

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"One person's comments on social media doesn't overshadow the greater good that is happening in Fair Lawn Schools," he said.

Davis’ comments caused an uproar on the Fair Lawn, NJ Facebook page. User Kim Scancarella called the comment “disgusting and disgraceful.”

Several people posted a screenshot of a post Davis allegedly made to Facebook late Wednesday attempting to blame the comment on being hacked. “I am told my Facebook has been hacked. Please accept nothing new from my account,” the post read.

Ellen Greene, a media representative for RWJBarnabas Health headquartered in West Orange, said “statements posted by RWJBarnabas Health official social media outlets are the only statements that represent the views and policies of the organization.”

Davis, an attorney, joined RWJBarnabas in 2009 and was soon named the first woman and first person of color to serve as executive vice president in the health system’s history, according to her bio on the BOSS Network website.

She was named one of the Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare earlier this year.

Email: nolan@northjersey.com