A Sydney pub manager has been sacked over a Facebook post which mocked domestic violence ahead of the NRL finals.
The post was published on the Facebook page of Newtown's Coopers Hotel on Wednesday.
It included an image of superhero Batman slapping Robin for calling a try a touchdown, with the text “keep calm and slap a bitch as we approach the finals of this years NRL!"
The post was slammed by Facebook users.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
"Hey manager, is it that hard to believe domestic violence is not ok to joke about? How many women have to die until you realise this?" one user wrote.
The Coopers Hotel Facebook page responded to complaints with a follow-up post.
It read: "Keep calm and hug like you can't take a joke as we approach the finals of this years (sic) NRL! Live & Loud every game!"
The follow-up was met with further outrage.
"Looks like Coopers Hotel in Newtown needs to take a long, hard look at themselves. And learn how to write a proper apology. Buy your pints elsewhere, Sydney friends," YWCA Victoria wrote.
A man claiming to be the Coopers Hotel general manager later posted an apology on Facebook.
The posts and outrage came after a report last month highlighted a 40 per cent surge in domestic violence on State of Origin game days.
Some outraged users left one-star reviews on the venue's Facebook in response to the post.
"I used to drink here a lot with my old man when he was in town but won't be stepping foot in Coopers ever again," one reviewer wrote.
Another person wrote: "Violence against women is not ok. Using it being [sic] a joke as an excuse is also not ok."
On Thursday, A Coopers Hotel employee told SBS News that the general manager had been fired.
Coopers Hotel management did not wish to comment further on the matter.
