GRAND CHUTE - No disciplinary actionwill be taken against a Grand Chute police officer forracist, homophobic and violent social media posts made when he was in high school.

Police Chief Greg Peterson announced the decision Thursday following a nearly two-month long investigation into posts by officer Bryce La Luzerne that were reported to the department at the end of May.

Peterson said that since the comments were made prior to La Luzerne joining the force in 2017, hewas not bound by the department's code of conduct.

In addition, an investigation into La Luzerne's conduct as an officer found "that the allegations presented in the anonymous complaint have not been exhibited in any aspect of Officer La Luzerne's performance with the Grand Chute Police Department since his date of hire," Peterson wrote.

La Luzerne's social media posts prompted a protest outside the police station at the beginning of July, where about 50 people gathered to demand the department fire him.

Tweets pictured inscreenshotsshared on Facebook date back tobetween 2011 and 2014 and use racial slurs, homophobic language and mentionmurder. The department also examineda more recent post La Luzernemade on Instagram in October. Thepost shows a photo of a handgun andreferences the Boogaloo movement, which has ties to white supremacy and radical libertarianism, according toUSA TODAY.

Protesters march for the removal of Bryce La Luzerne from the Grand Chute Police Department on Sunday, July 5, 2020, in Grand Chute, Wis.(Photo: Alex Martin/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

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As part of the investigation, the department reviewed La Luzerne's social media and internet search history,hishiring process,arrest record, use of force incidents and complaints filed against him. The department also conducted interviews with people who knew La Luzerne in high school.

Grand Chute Police Chief Greg Peterson(Photo: Courtesy of Grand Chute police)

The investigation did not reveal evidence of bias or prejudice, Peterson said.

He saidthe department decided to conduct a "meticulous" investigation to uphold the community's trust in the department, though he recognized that trust has already been damaged "based solely on the egregious nature of the allegations."

"The comments shared by Officer La Luzerne as a teenager were reprehensible," Peterson wrote. "Making no excuse for his conduct, he is in full agreement, stating so in a written apology he has given me. Acknowledging the pain arising from his actions, he has also expressed his desire to 'restore the trust and repair the damage' that his past words have caused. We share in this sentiment."

Contact Natalie Brophy at (715) 216-5452 or nbrophy@gannett.com. Followher on Twitter @brophy_natalie.

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Grand Chute police will not take disciplinary action against officer who posted racist tweets in high school - Post-Crescent