Pet adoption manager swears she's not racist after using term 'gangbanging'

The administrator of a county pet adoption center in St. Louis is denying that the comments which got her fired are racist.

Beth Vesco-Mock was fired by the St. Louis County Pet Adoption Center after disparaging minorities, Fox 2 News reports.

St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger placed Vesco-Mock on "pre-termination suspension without pay" in a recent letter. That has since escalated to a firing.

“Mr. Stenger went to the media and said that I had been terminated for racism, which was very surprising since I was only suspended and I have never made a racist comment in my life,” Vesco-Mock told Fox 2, while two dogs were sitting on her lap.

“They are claiming that I used the word ‘gangbanger’ to describe some of the African-American employees at the shelter,” Vesco-Mock argued. “What actually occurred is during a meeting I used the term ‘gangbanging,’ I did not want them hanging in the halls ‘gangbanging.’”

“I am just very upset that this is happening this way,” Vesco-Mock said. “Because I do not feel that I’m going to be able to get the due process that I deserve.”

Stenger's office disagreed.

“A number of matters relating to the current management of the shelter were recently brought to my attention," Stenger said. "Because we cannot tolerate inappropriate conduct or activities, we immediately began an investigation.”