The Times Square Ball Account Tweeted An “Unacceptable & Indefensible” Joke

The person overseeing the Twitter account for the Times Square ball drop didn't stop to think before he or she tweeted out an offensive joke last night. Last night's New Year's Eve festivities were soured when the account for New York City's main event shared two tweets that many found to be insensitive. Both tweets were eventually deleted from the verified account, which has over 20,000 followers. The first tweet linked race to the economy. "The Ball this year has become racist due to the dismal state of our economy in 2015," it read. It then tweeted "#BallLivesMatter," a play on the #BlackLivesMatter movement protesting violence against Black citizens by police officers. The offensive tweet quickly caused an outcry within the Twitter community. Many users slammed it for being tone-deaf. "The tweet was unacceptable and indefensible. As soon as event organizers became aware of it, it was removed immediately. The person responsible was an independent freelancer and will not be engaged again," a spokesperson for New Year's Eve in Times Square told Refinery29 via email.