Facebook post about Ferguson leads to firing

[n2doc]

HOUSTON -- As racial tensions continue to flare up in Ferguson, back home in Houston one woman's Facebook post about the controversy landed her in the unemployment line.

She wrote, "The police need to just start mowing them down with machine guns, purge them," on her personal Facebook page.

"Very racist," said one man, who didn't want to be identified. "I was highly offended."

This man saw the woman's post online, and he looked into it further. He learned the woman, KHOU is choosing not to name her, worked at Memorial Hermann Southeast.

"It shouldn't be tolerated when you're a professional," said the man. "A hospital is a place where you're supposed to have compassion upon people of all races."

That controversial post on Facebook was never truly private. Nothing on Facebook really is. Within hours, it had been shared multiple times, and it wasn't long before Memorial Hermann found out about it too. They took swift action.

more

http://www.khou.com/story/news/local/2014/08/21/facebook-post-about-ferguson-leads-to-firing/14415813/

[VanillaRhapsody]

1. Looks like she got herself "purged" instead...

[dballance]

2. When will people learn one has NO FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS w/ a private employer?

People keep spouting off and act like it's their right to say anything they want without consequences. Then they get shocked that there are consequences.

ONCE AGAIN: THE FIRST AMENDMENT ONLY PROTECTS ONE FROM GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE WITH FREE SPEECH. Private employers are at their leisure to do as they please. Especially in a "right to work" state like TX.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. Whole South is a right to work area......

You would think they would learn.

[TrollBuster9090]

13. I was going to say something similar. One the one hand, I think people should only be fired for

OBJECTIVE, EVIDENCE-BASED malfeasance or misbehavior AT WORK, which is directly related to their work performance. I don't think an employer should be able to fire you for a personal opinion expressed OUTSIDE of work, no matter how repulsive it is. Having said that, the best way to prevent an employer from being able to fire you because of a PERSONAL issue is to work for worker's rights, and UNIONIZATION.

(Having said that, I ALSO think advocating violence is/and or should be a crime. So, while I have mixed feelings about her being fired, I think that kind of thing is worthy of some kind of minor criminal charge, along the 'shouting "fire" in a crowded theater" lines.)

[brush]

4. Bet she wishes she had a union now. nt

[dickthegrouch]

5. Any union that defends that kind of crap is no good

No respectable Union would ever defend that kind of sentiment.

Perhaps you mean she might not have those racist views if she'd been educated by her Union colleagues.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

6. Maybe it's just a California or border state thing

But I can't think of many places I have seen more foaming at the mouth racism than from unions.

[JimDandy]

12. And I can't think of many places I have seen

less foaming at the mouth racism than from unions.

See how that works...

[petronius]

7. It wouldn't be about defending the sentiment, it would be about a person's

freedom to enjoy her civil rights and liberties--on her own time and property--without interference from her employer. In this case, apparently, she is not connected in anyway to the event, in an unrelated industry, and committed no misconduct at work. I'm pretty sure that my union would defend her and I'd want it to, despite the vileness of her comments. 'Right to work' is bullshit...

[brush]

17. This is exactly what I meant. Thanks, petronius.

Of course what she said was vile.

[VanGoghRocks]

9. Former shop steward here. I don't think the union would be defending

"that kind of crap."

But a union might, for example, reach a collective bargaining agreement with the employer such that posts on social media could not be made into grounds for dismissal. That's the principal virtue of unions, their collective bargaining power.

[951-Riverside]

10. Forget about unions and "free speech"...

If you were in the hospital sick, vulnerable and happened to belong to a group she didnt like would you want someone with her mindset administering care and medication to you?

Think about that for a second and while you're at it look up Genene Jones to find out the type of carnage someone like this could cause.

[Lars39]

16. Gah! She's due for mandatory release in 2017

because of overcrowding! wtf

[0rganism]

8. about the same time they learn there's no 4th amendment rights on facebook

or twitter, for that matter

people are constantly self-incriminating on facebook, news covers these instances frequently because their cheap and often salacious, but it continues unabated.

[Catherine Vincent]

11. Good!

[Cha]

14. UnfuckingReal... the stupidity of raging racists! Kicked herself right out of a job, she did. With

her uncontrollable racist hate laced with venomous ignorance.

[Cha]

15. The woman's post has since been taken down, but the damage already done. Experts best advice: think

twice before you hit 'enter.'

Yeah, think twice racist buckeroos.

[herding cats]

18. In this case it may be better they didn't think twice.

That racist POS worked in healthcare. Imagine the damage they could do to someone of darker color than they are in that industry just because they don't give a damn if they receive the care they need?

I knew an EMT who later went on to become a nurse who was this type of racist. Saying crap like "they" should just die and save the taxpayers money when the call was to a low income area, and drug addicts were trying to kill themselves anyway so why was she having to work to save them, etc. I complained about what she said in the ambulance (in the presence of the patient!) over and over again. They talked to her about her "attitude" and that was it. She proceeded to make my life a living hell. I finally was let go in a budget cut and she kept her job. I wish I would have been older and smarter. I would have gotten an attorney and at least exposed what they condoned at that ambulance service, but I was a 19 year old idiot working my way through college who had been told I'd pay for it if I pressed the issue. I'm still ashamed I let people make me feel afraid and worthless like that. Last I heard she was a nurse not more than a half hour drive from the hospital in the article. Maybe she's reflected on what being a decent human means since then, but the last time I looked at her facebook it was covered and "come and get my guns if you dare" types of posts, so I'm skeptical.

People like that should not be working in healthcare. I don't trust them to not let their racial bias keep them from doing their best to serve the better interest of their patients.

[Cha]

19. Exactly, herding cats.. like they would think twice anyway. It's not in their nature to even think.

"Maybe she's reflected on what being a decent human means since then, but the last time I looked at her facebook it was covered and "come and get my guns if you dare" types of posts, so I'm skeptical."

I'm doubtful.. so sorry you had that experience to be shut down by a racist!

It's irony of ironies that they're even in healthcare.. they should be exposed at every opportunity like you tried to do so long ago.

[conservaphobe]

20. Good.

I hope more employers do the right thing and rid their businesses of this kind of cancer.

A lot of decent people out there looking for work will be ready to fill their positions.

It's a shame anyone would take the side of the bigot, but I think some people would argue a white horse is blue if they thought it would make their square ideology fit into a round world more easily.