A Texas funeral director has been accused of taking selfies next to hearses and caskets and then putting the images on Facebook.
KTRK reports that mourner Rose Molina made the discovery during funeral services for her 32-year-old cousin.
“You could see that he had it kind of angled, you know, you have it positioned in a certain way to catch the background,” Molina told KTRK.
Molina said she asked funeral director David Jones if he was snapping a selfie with a hearse in the background.
Jones replied that he was just fixing his tie.
Molina later looked up Jones on Facebook and found several photos of him with hearses and caskets in the background.
Molina said that his selfies “tainted” her cousin’s funeral.
“He disrespected this day in my family’s life,” Molina told KTRK.
Joaquin Leal, the owner of Leal Funeral Home, told KTRK that Jones was an independent contractor at the time of the funeral.
Leal told KTRK that Jones’s behavior was unacceptable and that he had apologized to the family.
Kyle Smith, staff attorney for the Texas Funeral Services Commission, told the New York Post that Jones has been a licensed funeral director since Dec. 1, 2011, with no complaints on file.
Smith said Jones could face a fine up to $5,000 if his behavior is found to be a violation of conduct after an investigation by the agency, but there will be no investigation unless the agency receives an official complaint.
Molina plans to file an official complaint with the agency.