A little over a month ago, I asked G@G users if someone should be fired for what they post on social media. The poll results, which can be seen here, was pretty divided. Of 535 total votes, about 24.4% said yes, 30% said no, and 45% believed it depended on what is said and done.
So I decided to do a little digging myself and find people who were fired over there social media posts. The occupations range from professional to military, and one even happened only three days ago. Here's a list of 5 people who lost their jobs for their social media posts, including a bonus at the end.
1. Carly McKinney
Now, as almost everyone on here knows by now, I myself am a high school teacher, which is why I choose not to share pictures of myself on various social media sites and when I do, I choose which photos to upload very carefully. AND THIS IS WHY. Teachers are held to higher standard when it comes to social media and free speech. Unfortunately, 23 year old Carly McKinney, a [former] 10th grade math teacher from Aurora, Colorado, got herself so ‘stoned’ that she must’ve forgotten this little tidbit. After tweeting various nude photos of herself while also claiming to be ‘Naked. Wet. Stoned’, McKinney was sacked from her job.
2. Former Marine Sergeant Gary Stein
If you’re planning to join the military, common sense tells you to respect the Commander and Chief, aka, the President of the United States. Even if you don’t LIKE him, President Obama still has command over the nation’s military and its participants. Maybe Gary Stein didn’t know this as he stated on his Facebook page, ‘Screw Obama. I will not follow all orders from him”. No, Gary, you won’t be following his orders after your dishonorable discharge. You may still be a ‘marine’, but as far as the military is concerned, you aren’t an honorable one.
3. Justine Sacco
This one is so stupid, it almost hurts to put it on the list. In 2013, Justine Sacco, a journalist for InterActive Corp, a New York based online business, was just departing from London to Africa when she tweeted, “Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding. I’m white!’
Anyone who has flown before knows you cannot check your phone while in mid-flight. So imagine her surprise that, after nearly half a day’s time spent in the air, Sacco not only discovered her tweet went viral and was reported by Buzzfeed, but also became a trending hashtag #HasJustineLandedYet . The worst part? Sacco was born in South Africa. Can you say ‘moron’? Sacco was canned from IAC for what they called ‘hateful statements’.
4. Taco Licker Dude
As if Taco Bell wasn’t disgusting as it is, an unidentified worker thought it would a brilliant idea to not only lick an entire stack of Taco shells, but then post it on social media. Jj O’Brien Nolan reposted it to Taco Bell’s Facebook page, stating, “This sure says a lot about your employees, food treatment and what they post on the internet.”
Taco Bell claimed that the picture was posted to a user’s private Facebook page, but would take immediate action against the employee. They also claimed the shells were for training purposes, were to be thrown out, and were never served to customers. However, even 3 years later, the public didn’t buy the company’s claims.
5. Buckingham Palace Guard
In 2011, Kate Middleton apparently gave one of the guards the cold shoulder on the way to her wedding. So offended by her lack of respect [on her wedding day], he took his complaints to Facebook for a good ole’ rant. “Hur and William drove past me on Friday n all a got was a shitty wave while she looked the opposite way from me, stupid stuck up cow am a not good enough for them! Posh bitch am totally with u on this 1 who reely gives a f*** about hur.” Yeah, he didn’t last long.
***BONUS IDIOT: Lisa Greenwood
Okay, so, this list was actually composed last night but I woke up this morning and, low and behold, someone else was fired this week for social media posts. Why? Apparently, former loan officer Lisa Greenwood doesn’t think highly of Michelle Obama. After the First Lady’s speech at the Democratic National Convention, Lisa Greenwood tweeted on July 25th, 2016 to FLOTUS that Michelle Obama is, “an ugly black bitch”.
Once again, here’s another person who is not only showing their true colors, but didn’t even bother hiding their name. After very little leg work, Twitter users found her Facebook page and discovered she worked at Home Point Financial as a loan officer, causing several Twitter and Facebook users to tag them, Greenwood’s tweet, and Greenwood’s Facebook page in a flurry of posts.
Needless to say, Greenwood was canned the next day with many people wondering if anyone minority customers were discriminated against due to Greenwood's racial comments. Looks like Home Point Financial has some back tracking to do.
Learn your lesson early, people. Whether or not you agree with it, Social media is NOT the place for free speech when it can give your employer a bad reputation. It can, and will, get you fired.
A woman wrote a Facebook status saying she hates her job and her boss is a perv forgetting that she had him on Facebook
He replied 'Hi Lindsay, I guess you forgot about adding me on here? 'Firstly, don't flatter yourself. Secondly, you've worked here five months and didn't work out that I'm gay?
'I know I don't prance about the office like a queen, but it's not exactly a secret. Thirdly, that "s*** stuff " is called your "job", you know, what I pay you to do. And lastly, you also seem to have forgotten that you have two weeks left on your six-month trial period. Don't bother coming in tomorrow.
I'll pop your P45 in the post and you can come in whenever you like to pick up any stuff you've left here. And yes, I'm serious.'
To the Marine who refused to follow lawful orders. My parents are Vets, and my dad HATES Reagan and considers him and Oliver North Guilty of Nothing Less than Higher Treason. However part of his time in the Air Force guess who was President. That's right, Ronald Reagan, AND YOU KNOW WHAT, HE FOLLOWED GODDAMN ORDERS
Also they may have not taken the fact that you were a marine away but here is what you did lose dishonorable discharge (DD) can only be handed down to an enlisted member by a general court-martial. Dishonorable discharges are handed down for what the military considers the most reprehensible conduct. This type of discharge may be rendered only by conviction at a general court-martial for serious offenses (e. g., desertion, sexual assault, murder, etc.) that call for dishonorable discharge as part of the sentence.
With this characterization of service, all veterans' benefits are lost, regardless of any past honorable service, and this type of discharge is regarded as shameful in the military. In many states a dishonorable discharge is deemed the equivalent of a felony conviction, with attendant loss of civil rights.[14] Additionally, US federal law prohibits possession of firearms by those who have been dishonorably discharged[15] per the Gun Control Act of 1968.
Yep, Now you have commited a felony and are no longer allowed to Vote, Own a Gun, or serve on a Jury, Additionally, You THEY HAVE taken away your right to be called a marine, as you lose veteran status all all the benefits there in.
In other words, he followed orders but dared to state the obvious that the orders were inane/ evil. To compare his free speech to a felony reveals the pettiness and insecurity of the tinpot tyrant who demanded he receive dishonorable discharge. In essence, branding the soldier guilty of the very thing the president* himself is actually guilty of. The real crooks stood busted, so they shifted the blame to the whistleblower. Which in this case, is an abuse of office. Hence, why those who know the soldier say that his true honor remains regardless what the usurper has declared.
@ObscuredBeyond If he had a problem with following orders, then he shouldn't be in the military at all. Presidents change all the time, everyone and their mom knows that. Joining the military means you are deliberately taking a chance on whether or not you agree with the politics of your country and following the direction your country is going. The military is not the place to address your political views because no one cares what they are. The point is, you took a position (that you didn't have to take) and with that position comes things you may or may not like. Get over it or get out. 'I will not follow all orders' is something no self respecting marine would say. The military, especially the Marines, is about discipline and anyone who says that isn't disciplined, but entitled.
@ObscuredBeyond ‘Screw Obama. I will not follow all orders from him”. That is what he said, That he will refuse to follow orders and that is what a conspiracy theorist like you doesn't understand. That he did in fact commit a punishable offence
I can understand 1,2, 4, and 5 but I disagree with 3 and the bonus one.
I don't believe what happened to Justine was fair. Sure it was tactless but the punishment doesn't fit the crime. She was harassed and insulted by millions of people all over the world, lost her job, and severly damaged her future career opportunities all for one comment that didn't do any damage to anyone. I fucking hate buzzfeed feed.
Now with the bonus one, I don't really see how calling one person an ugly black bitch automatically makes them rascist. I really doubt if a black women called a white first lady an ugly white bitch that people would have reacted the same way.
These people are idiots. A girl at my work got suspended because she called in, but then she put pictures of herself on Facebook at the beach. She even put in her status: Had fun at the beach today! So she couldn't even claim that the pictures were from another day. I don't understand what some of these people are thinking.
Great take! My only niggle is people are still calling The Duchess of Cambridge (or her married name, Catherine Windsor), Kate Middleton 🙈 I'm aware that half the world knows her as that but it's not her name anymore. Sorry! I'm terribly English I know! Still loved the take though, great advice for idiots out there who want to do stupid stuff online.
I wonder if these people are just too stupid to realize that what they're saying could get them fired, or too stupid to understand how social media works.
You're right of course; I don't usually post my photos, such as on here, for the same reasons as you.
But I'd like to say that making ONE stupid or racist comment should NOT result in someone losing their job. We all make mistakes; witch hunts on the Internet should not magnify them into such major crimes.
Notice, none of these people was high ranking in their jobs. Think thei high ranking people don't say similar things?
Hah hah.
It's covered up and they face no consequences.
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Anonymous
(36-45)
+1 y
I agree you shouldn't post stupid things on social media when you're employer is watching. However #3 and ESPECIALLY #2 are forms of liberal censorship. I have seen liberals consistently post hateful things about conservatives with no fear of reprisal or job loss. Some of my African American FB friends have have posted shit such as "cracker", "honkey" and recently "Malcom X had it right with black nationalism, MLK was a coward". If they got fired from their jobs for saying that their would be a media shitstorm. Also think of milo yiannopoulus getting banned from twitter all the while actress Leslie Jones posted MULTIPLE hateful tweets about white people with absolutely no punishment what so ever.
I realize that you are talking about getting fired vs. censorship. However losing your JOB is a VERY POWERFUL form of censorship... and its usually very biased towards political correctness. If you are mystified why Trump is so popular, this is one of the reasons. We are sick of marxism.
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Anonymous
(25-29)
+1 y
Here's another example you missed, where a Texas Roadhouse waitress gets fired after making a violently racist tweet about killing as many Mexicans as she can if a purge were to ever happen in real life because apparently, they didn't tip her good enough.
One should always realize that they are partly representative of the company/institution they are working for. Firing #1,#3, #4,#5 is a no-brainer.
#2 is a special kind of stupid, though. The military isn't our every day play school. One will respect the chain of command, not even up for debate. Insubordination will result in treason in worst cases.
I feel like if someone posts a blatantly racist, sexist , homophobic or a xenophobic remark that should not result in such consequences. Why can't a high school teacher post nude photos or get high? The last time I checked none of these activities are illegal. Does that hinder her ability to teach a math class?
It's in my contract with my district that I'll compose myself in professional manner including on my social media accounts and not doing so is grounds for dismissal. Plus, as high school teachers, our students know how to use the internet and could possibly find the photos, not to mention getting high is actually illegal. That happened to her like 2 or 3 years ago. And getting high does hinder brain performance.
Well if the students report that they have trouble understanding the course material that she is covering because of her inability to teach, only then the school district should scrutinize her actions. And you can get high through a legal medium too like through vape, hookah or something. And what's the big deal with nudes and naked people? i just don't get it!!!
As reprehensible as the South Africa comment may have been, to tattle the way Buzzfeed did is even more deplorable and wicked. This is how freedom of speech dies.
Tattle? She's the one who made the comment public. If she didn't want everyone to see it, she shouldn't have made it lol. That's the internet. It's a public forum so whatever you put on here, you are responsible for it.
They exploited it, and brought it undue extra attention, and implied that she should be fired for it. Zapping her employer in the process. Zapping is a form of blackmail.
She should've been fired for it. If she didn't want people to take hold of it and run with it, she shouldn't have posted it. The end. That's the risk you take. She needs to use her brain next time. All Buzzfeed did was it's job when you think about it.
That you think destroying other's personal lives over a stupid text that did not explicitly threaten anyone, simply because it was tasteless, and that you think an unelected entity like Buzzfeed has the right to assume that its "rightful" station in society, betrays to me that you are a disciple of the NWO and you don't even know it!
The fact that you think that whatever you publicly put on the internet is safe and private information makes me think you aren't exactly the brightest light on the Christmas tree, either, so I don't know what to tell you.
According to Wikipedia: It states that, without a clear indicator of the author's intent, parodies of extreme views will be mistaken by some readers or viewers as sincere expressions of the parodied views.
"Now, as almost everyone on here knows by now, I myself am a high school teacher"
I hope this was irony and you do not take yourself that important.
Anyway. This is why I don't use social media. And also why I choose to be anonym around here. It just isn't worth the potential consequences of people wanting to fuck you over because they didn't like your face or what you said.
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