“In regards to Mr. Sawyer’s posts on social media, we do not tolerate derogatory remarks that target any race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation,” reads a statement from The CW, producers Warner Bros. TV and Berlanti Productions, and Flash showrunner Eric Wallace, cited by THR. “Such remarks are antithetical to our values and policies, which strive and evolve to promote a safe, inclusive and productive environment for our workforce.”
Though he deactivated his Twitter account in late May, Hartley’s litany of offensive missives included but were by no means limited to: “all women should be in sex farms” (from May 2011), “If I had a wife I would beat the hell out of her tonight lol” (February 2012), “The only thing stopping me from doing mildly racist tweets is the knowledge that Al Sharpton would never stop complaining about me” (June 2012), “Out at dinner and just exposed myself as a racist, AGAIN” (November 2014), “Jingle bells, batman smells, women shouldn’t vote” (November 2014), and homophobic slurs.