Forum announced regarding resigned Springfield officer's alleged racist posts

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - A community summit, planned in response to the alleged racist social media posts of a former Springfield police officer, is set for Wednesday.

The Springfield branch of the NAACP and the Jewish Federation of Springfield are hosting the Community Unity Summit, which will be held on April 13 at Southeast High School in Springfield. The building is located at 2350 E. Ash St.

The event will run from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

According to a Facebook post from Black Lives Matter SPI, panelists will include Springfield Police Chief Ken Scarlette, Sangamon County State's Attorney Dan Wright, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, and U.S. District Attorney Greg Harris.

Springfield police called the alleged posts "racist and disturbing." The person police named as the author of the posts, Aaron Nichols, resigned from his position earlier in April after first being placed on unpaid administrative leave.

Wright had announced his department had started reviewing cases that included Nichols. A previous statement from Wright called the alleged posts "vile and dehumanizing."