VALDOSTA — A sandwich restaurant has fired staff members following the online posting of a video showing someone dressed in Ku Klux Klan robes in a Valdosta eatery, according to a company spokesperson.

“Following a thorough investigation of the events that took place at our store, we have terminated the employees involved, including the general manager. All staff are now undergoing diversity training which will become a regular part of our store operations going forward. I apologize for this offensive behavior and will not tolerate it in my store,” said Brandi Shinkle, owner of the Jimmy John’s sandwich shop franchise in Valdosta in a statement forwarded by the company’s corporate headquarters.

The video, which has been available on Twitter since at least Sept. 30, shows a white male smiling as he pulls on the Klan-style hood while another person is partially visible laughing and waving a smartphone around. 

The pair appear to be in the kitchen part of the restaurant located on Baytree Road.

The Ku Klux Klan is a white supremacist organization with roots dating to the 1860s. Various versions of the Klan through the decades have carried out violence against America’s black population.

“The incidents referenced in these tweets are horrible and hurtful. We have a zero tolerance policy for this kind of behavior which is why we took disciplinary action against the people involved immediately upon learning of these incidents and it’s why we are implementing diversity training for all of our employees immediately. I am also personally sorry as this does not at all reflect our values as a community or the business that I am running,” Shinkle said.