Iowa Official Ousted After Bombarding Employees With Emails About Tupac Shakur

The director of Iowa’s Department of Human Services was forced out of his job last month after routinely sending employees emails praising rapper Tupac Shakur, the Associated Press reports. Over his two-year tenure, 66-year-old Jerry Foxhoven sent and received at least 350 pages of emails that referenced “Tupac” or “2Pac.” He was reportedly told to step down from the job by Gov. Kim Reynolds almost immediately after blasting out a mass email—to all 4,300 agency employees—that called on everyone to mark Tupac’s birthday by listening to one of his songs, a message that was accompanied by a large image of the rapper smiling. Foxhoven was also known for hosting “Tupac Fridays” in his office. While some employees appreciated Foxhoven’s enthusiasm, at least one employee complained to lawmakers about the emails last year. A spokesman for Gov. Reynolds did not confirm or deny the email was an element in Foxhoven’s ouster, saying only that “a lot of factors contributed” to his departure.