Extremism

3 fired from West Virginia agency after apparent Nazi salute photo

Three people were fired and dozens more have been suspended after a photo surfaced of West Virginia correction officer trainees apparently performing a Nazi salute.

The image shows more than two dozen trainees with their arms raised, with the figures' faces blurred. The image was released Thursday by the West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety, according to The Associated Press.

The picture includes only one line of text at the top, reading: "Hail Byrd." A spokesperson for the agency told the AP that the line was a reference to an instructor for the trainees.

Jeff Sandy, the department's head, said of the three fired, two were training instructors and one was a cadet. Thirty-four other employees have been suspended without pay.