Advertisement VA demotes man for 'dance monkey dance' comment towards Patriots Share Shares Copy Link Copy

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs decided on Friday that Stephen Pina of Brockton should be demoted after what it called “offensive” tirade against NFL players who were kneeling during the national anthem.The Enterprise reports Pina, who is the manager of the benefits center at a regional VA office in Providence, sparked a controversy last week when he made an insulting online comment that included the phrase “dance monkey dance,” aimed at New England Patriots football players who knelt during the national anthem.“VA does not condone or tolerate such unacceptable and offensive comments from any of our employees,” said Curt Cashour, press secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs, in an email to The Enterprise. “That’s why we have proposed demoting this employee and removing him from his management/supervisory role.”Cashour said that, per federal law, Pina has seven days to respond to the proposed disciplinary action, before a VA administrator makes the decision final.For now, Cashour said, Pina is not processing veterans benefits claims or providing any supervisory oversight. Pina began working for the VA in Boston about 10 years ago, before he was transferred to the agency’s Atlanta office. In 2013, he was hired to manage the veterans benefits center in Providence. In his role at the Providence regional veterans Benefit Office, Pina oversaw 157 federal employees, for which he received a salary of $120,000 last year.Pina had already resigned Sept. 25 from his roles in Brockton as a Pop Warner football coach and member of the Brockton Parks and Recreation Commission. Brockton Mayor Bill Carpenter called for Pina’s resignation from the appointed board, and the Brockton Junior Boxers football league held an emergency parents meeting, later calling for his removal as a coach.Pina called The Enterprise after news began to spread about his “dance monkey dance” comment, stating that the incident was being blown out of proportion. Pina said he is a combat veteran who strongly believes that players should stand for the national anthem. Pina said that he meant the phrase in the sense of “doing what you get paid to do,” and that he had heard it many times before on the WEEI Kirk and Callahan morning show.“It was not meant to be a racist comment, and if it was taken as such that’s regrettable,” Pina said. “At heart, it wasn’t intentional. ... It wasn’t meant to be that way.”The Brockton Area Branch NAACP and Brockton Mayor Bill Carpenter and others condemned Pina’s remark as racist or racially insensitive. Many pointed out that the 15 Patriots players who were kneeling were people of color.“I’m offended, I’m troubled and I’m disappointed with the remark,” said Carpenter, who in 2016 appointed Pina to a five-year term on the Brockton Parks and Recreation Commission. “I think we’re a city of inclusion. That type of comment goes against everything we believe in. As public officials, we’re held to a high standard. We’re held responsible for what we put on social media."