Should this/a racist post get you suspended from your job/or certain kind of jobs?

[marylander1940]

SOUTH HAVEN, Ind. -- A volunteer firefighter in northwest Indiana has been suspended over a racist post on Facebook.

 

The post has been linked to a South Haven volunteer firefighter. The department is investigating.

 

The post includes a photo of a van with a graphic of two people with spears, the n-word, and is accompanied by the message “Started a new moving company … anyone need help moving?”

 

Members of the department, both full-time and volunteer, sign a social media contract agreeing not to post inflammatory content.

 

The police are also involved to determine the source of the post.

 

The accused firefighter has essentially disappeared since this came to light. The post has been deleted and his Facebook photo’s been changed. He did not return WGN News' attempt to contact him.

 

WGN News is not naming him because he has not been charged.

 

Facebook is also involved in the investigation.

 

http://wgntv.com/2016/07/15/indiana-volunteer-firefighter-suspended-over-racist-facebook-post/

 

OP note: obviously it depends on what kind of job and what kind of posting, but I'm sure yinz will talk about it too and mention examples.

[+ José Soplanucas]

If you are a public servant, yes.

[bigvalboy]

If you are a public servant, yes.

+1

[marylander1940]

If you are a public servant, yes.

 

Exactly...

 

I'm just guessing he's a right wing nut and hates big government, right? Maybe he should start a company and become the next Rockefeller, at least many conservatives I know talk Jeffersonian while living Hamiltonian.

[+ José Soplanucas]

Who knows, I wish people was so easy to label. Conservatives do not have the monopoly of racism. Many self proclaimed progressives are actually bigots.

[marylander1940]

Who knows, I wish people was so easy to label. Conservatives do not have the monopoly of racism. Many self proclaimed progressives are actually bigots.

 

yes, but hypocrisy is prevalent among conservatives.

 

http://i.imgur.com/UU3mU.jpg

[rvwnsd]

The person's political affiliation is irrelevant. IMO, the employer is free to set a policy and enforce it. When the policy states this type of content is prohibited then that policy should be enforced.

[+ José Soplanucas]

Exactly!

 

Take a look at Grindr.

You don't need to go that far, my friend. Check the Politics forum.

[marylander1940]

You don't need to go that far, my friend. Check the Politics forum.

 

I go there often.

 

Is Bozo back? I miss him so much, I just can't quit him.

[+ José Soplanucas]

I go there often.

 

Is Bozo back, I miss him so much, I just can't quit him.

He is not. Yeah, Inalso miss him. Now, I do not think he is a case of self labeled as progressive who has bigots views.

[marylander1940]

He is not. Yeah, Inalso miss him. Now, I do not think he is a case of self labeled as progressive who has bigots views.

 

I think he plays conservative just to piss off all of us and he's doing a great job!

[+ José Soplanucas]

I think he plays conservative just to piss off all of us and he's doing a great job!

I also think so. I accused him once of doing that, he liked my post but never replied.

[mattr]

Since he was a volunteer, he is technically not a government employee. Members of my local volunteer fire department get a few perks including a break on their real estate taxes and a small pension based on years of service, but they don't get salaries and or any other government benefits. That being said, his posting is abhorrent and I can see why a volunteer organization which depends on community participation and donations would not want to be associated with such an individual. Since they had enough forethought to include a social media clause in their agreement, they are perfectly within their rights to remove him from the organization. The other thing to consider is that this guy is not the brightest bulb in the lamp and therefore I would not want him responding if my house were on fire. It never ceases to amaze me how many "smart" adults post extremely questionable things on social media. I keep my social media (Facebook, Linkedin, etc.) completely free of any religious and political commentary. People can discern that I am a christian since they can see Christmas and Easter pictures with family and friends but that's about it.

[LivingnLA]

He was a volunteer who signed a social media contract. So, for violating that contract, he should be removed from the firefighting force.

[+ deej]

Members of the department, both full-time and volunteer, sign a social media contract agreeing not to post inflammatory content.

 

Breach of contract. Done and done.

[+ quoththeraven]

Since he was a volunteer, he is technically not a government employee. Members of my local volunteer fire department get a few perks including a break on their real estate taxes and a small pension based on years of service, but they don't get salaries and or any other government benefits. That being said, his posting is abhorrent and I can see why a volunteer organization which depends on community participation and donations would not want to be associated with such an individual. Since they had enough forethought to include a social media clause in their agreement, they are perfectly within their rights to remove him from the organization. The other thing to consider is that this guy is not the brightest bulb in the lamp and therefore I would not want him responding if my house were on fire. It never ceases to amaze me how many "smart" adults post extremely questionable things on social media. I keep my social media (Facebook, Linkedin, etc.) completely free of any religious and political commentary. People can discern that I am a christian since they can see Christmas and Easter pictures with family and friends but that's about it.

 

Doesn't matter if he's a public employee, he's a public servant. Posts such as that cast doubt as to whether he'd perform those services in an evenhanded manner.

[mattr]

Doesn't matter if he's a public employee, he's a public servant. Posts such as that cast doubt as to whether he'd perform those services in an evenhanded manner.

 

From Wikipedia: A civil servant or public servant is a person in the public sector employed for a government department or agency.

 

I believe I made it quite clear that his dismissal as a volunteer was justified and appropriate.