A Florida city worker is being shamed after using an American flag as a drop cloth to soak up oil while repairing a lawnmower.
While there is no law specifically stating it's illegal to misuse an American flag, common protocol is to prevent it from touching the ground.
However, J.D. Johnson, a Lake Hamilton city worker, doesn't see anything wrong with his actions.
The American flag, which was retired from flying at City Hall, was sitting around unused at the public works barn.
"When I just saw the flag laying on the ground I just needed something to lay on," Johnson explained. "So I just [threw] it down and laid on it to see what was wrong with the lawnmower. So what, I mean?" he asked Fox.
Another worker saw Johnson using the flag to soak up oil while he worked and took a picture of the flag thrown on the floor, which exposed Johnson's actions.
The reaction to the picture caused an uproar in the community.
"Most people have come up to me and said, 'That is disgusting,'" Mayor Marlene Wagner told Fox.
Johnson was suspended from his job for two weeks and ordered to attend a flag retirement ceremony.
