In the 1984 comedy film, Beverly Hills Cop II, Eddie Murphy’s character, who was under surveillance, kept a pair of cops from following him by sneaking out of his hotel, running across the street and putting a banana inside the tailpipe of their vehicle. Hours later, he’s relocated and told, by the new undercover cops, that they’re smarter than the last ones: “We’re not gonna fall for the banana in the tailpipe.”

Since then, the expression has become a part of the American lexicon. Chances are when you hear someone using it, the speaker means that he or she isn’t easily fooled. Slight of hand tricks or any other attempts to distract them from the obvious won’t be tolerated. This is the scene I thought of when I read of two recent cases where the offender did something outrageously offensive, the powers that be were made aware of the transgressions and publicly promised to correct the issue. Then…..it was business as usual.

Case No. 1 happened last month, shortly after Donald Trump became the President-Elect. The director of West Virginia’s Clay County Development Corporation, Pamela Ramsey Taylor, expressed her delight via her Facebook page with the following post: “It will be refreshing to have a classy, beautiful, dignified First Lady in the White House. I’m tired of seeing an ape in heels.”

The blowback was real: Shortly afterward, her words went viral and a warning was issued from the state bureau’s commissioner about discriminatory actions jeopardizing federal funds. A petition garnered nearly signatures of nearly 200,000 citizens demanding her termination and Taylor was immediately suspended. Beverly Whaling, the Mayor of Clay, was forced to resign after agreeing with the director. Recently, however, Taylor was allowed back to work.

Case No. 2: Many parents are now upset at the inflammatory words used by a Lawrence, KS middle school teacher and the perceived minimal consequences applied by the district’s school board. Chris Cobb, a middle school teacher, landed himself in hot water after telling his students that whites were superior to blacks. After being placed on leave, parents learned that the school board eventually opted to settle with Cobb and declined to provide further information about the commentary to the State Board of Education.

Two similar instances of professionals insulting African-Americans while on the job. Both were in positions of considerable influence and were careless about the impact of their prejudicial remarks. If both institutions exist to serve the public, what’s being accomplished by drawing a line….only to erase it? How much racism is ‘too much’ and why is the first time it’s put on display not enough?

America represents, especially to its citizens, a nation that affords a variety of privileges, free speech being among them. But there is a time and place to express oneself and there can be consequences for being ignorant, and downright offensive. Jobs have codes of conduct to maintain order and civility; if it’s cool for Cobb and Taylor to malign people who are unlike them, would it also be fine for a black supervisor, or student, to do the same? And if the answer is no, the double standards can only invite future conflicts that will end far less politely than with a shouting match or viral petitions.

Being rude and tacky isn’t something that everyone will tolerate. One day, the wrong person is going to hear the wrong thing. And when the excuses come, there won’t be anyone falling for that fabled banana in the tailpipe.