I have a question for you guys.
I will lay out the following as hypothetical, and no it did not involve me, but consider it having happened and I would love to hear your responses.
Sesame Street Fire Department has a firefighter who has a facebook page. Much like around 3/4 of the department who also have facebook pages, this firefighter uses it for personal use. I do not know if the firefighter labels himself as an employee of Sesame Street Fire Department on his facebook page, but let us say that he does as most others do.
The firefighter posts a status update on his facebook page quoting the movie Pulp Fiction. The quote has the N-word in it. However, the firefighter chooses to use text similar to “n#$%@r” instead of spelling it out. I do not believe the firefighter notates that the text is a movie quote.
I do not know the exact text, but if you go here (Pulp Fiction Movie Quotes) you will see that most are unsavory at best.
By all accounts of people who saw it and the way it was presented, the status update was done in fun and was not done intentionally slight anyone.
Upon seeing this status update, another firefighter in his firehouse raises issue. These two firefighters are reported to already having a less than ideal relationship.
The firefighter who found it offensive then told others. There BC caught wind of the issue.
The status update is reported to having NOT been done on-duty.
Now there are rumors of the Chiefs getting involved. There are rumors of the firefighter being fired.
Upon catching wind of this, the firefighter posted that it was a movie quote from Pulp Fiction, later deleted the status update, and has since removed most of the other firefighters from his friends list.
The Sesame Street Fire department has a policy for using social media sites that goes something like this (in my own words).
You may use the sites (FB, Youtube, etc.) after 5pm, you should not spend too much time on these sites (or the comp. in general) and you should use proper judgment on the use.
Here are my questions:
- Do you think quoting the movie with the N-word was irresponsible?
- Do you find it offensive?
- Do you think this is a fire-able offense?
- Do you think the Department has any right to discipline the firefighter?
- What actions, if any, should the department take on the matter?
- What actions, if any, should the firefighter take to rectify the situation?
Anytime you put on any social networking site where you work, be it fire service or private sector, anything you do can and will reflect not only on you but the organization that hired you. Therefore you need to be careful. I am not a paid firefighter but a volunteer and I work for a law firm, placing a status update like that could more easily get me fired at my “real” job than in trouble at the fire station. I would no more put a status update like that than I would put a sign in my front yard with it on it.
•Do you think quoting the movie with the N-word was irresponsible?
Just because it is a movie quote, it doesn't mean that it cannot be offensive. Even changing the text doesn't change the meaning. I think that better judgement could have been used.
•Do you find it offensive?
I am not offended by the use of the word, but also understand that some people are and therefore don't use it to avoid offending someone else.
•Do you think this is a fire-able offense?
Only if the policies within the Department indicate that this type of behavior is a fire-able offense. I don't think it should be however.
•Do you think the Department has any right to discipline the firefighter?
Huge grey area but probably yes….
•What actions, if any, should the department take on the matter?
Stronger policy and maybe some sensitivity training…..hard to say. Maybe nothing unless someone complains about it.
•What actions, if any, should the firefighter take to rectify the situation?
Probably what he has already done, maybe a letter of apology to the dept.
If he was off duty then the only conflict i see is that he represents himself as a firefighter on his Facebook page. If he doesn't do that, then there is probably no action that can be taken as the only tie to the Department would be from people that actually know he works there.
For those who use social networking in a professional application with several hundred friends leave themselves wide open for someone to post inappropriate material on your their page. Not only is it embarassing, sometimes hard to get rid of, it can profile you in a negative light. Just a few minutes of which you have no control can be quite costly in reputation as well future dealings. Just asking your friends “please use common sense and refrain from damning posts” will not get the job done and you cannot monitor everything 24/7. I do not have a solution.
Wow….I think we are forgetting one thing here a little something called THE FIRST AMENDMENT!!!!!!!! SInce something similar to happend to me I can comment on this….I never said anything racial on my page simply a generic quote about leadership that people interpreted to mean and be directed at the leadership of my FD.
Should you be responsible with your page? Yes but others should be as well….if you dont want to read what I may put on my page they you should censor yourself from it. I dont friend people I dont like, or I dont know. Even if they are employed by the FD I work for If I have never worked with them then they are not getting accepted simple as that.
People need to learn to mind there own business….I learned that telling on other people wasnt cool in elementary school, mabey some of you need a reminder. Is this what the brotherhood of the fire service has been reduced to? a bunch of whining, spineless men looking around to see who they can tell on. It sickens me to see this. What about in the good old days where if someone had issue with you they confronted you you either talked about it or fought about it but in the end it was over?
I had been kicking this around but it seems this world is spiriling out of control with this kind of behavior and no one is safe so I am going to delete my page, becuase its obvious you cant trust anyone.
Lets all worry about ourselves for a while and if you get yourself perfect then worry about someone else. Most of us have plenty to work on.
I think people need to be more aware of how many people there comments can reach on your FB status. Whether there your friends or not they will still find you.
Use the 3 second rule…think bout what your gonna type for 3 seconds before you type it and if you think it will A. get you “trouble” B. offend someone or C. cause any drama then you probably shouldnt write it at all and use more of a generic post.
Same kind of situation happened to me without the racial stuff.
“I would no more put a status update like that than I would put a sign in my front yard with it on it.”
Think of it like the “mother-in-law” rule; if you wouldn't say it in front of your mother or mother in law, then you probably shouldn't post it to the world for everyone to see. While we are entitled to free speech, we must also be responsible with that right.
* Do you think quoting the movie with the N-word was irresponsible?
Irresponsible? Not quite. Ill-advised? Dumb? Yeah.
* Do you find it offensive?
In context, no. If I was unaware of the context, while not personally offended, I would still think it absurdly stupid and bigoted.
* Do you think this is a fire-able offense?
As spelled out, off-duty, and within confines of the policy as stated, no way.
* Do you think the Department has any right to discipline the firefighter?
Not really. It was a dumb move even without ill intent, but technically in bounds. If there are issues, update the policy and keep facing forward.
* What actions, if any, should the department take on the matter?
A closed-door exchange between the FF and his immediate supervisor, involving a verbal 2×4, is probably in order, but without documentation.
* What actions, if any, should the firefighter take to rectify the situation?
Heed the advice administered with the verbal 2×4, stop being stupid, and learn to think before opening mouth or engaging keyboard.
* Do you think quoting the movie with the N-word was irresponsible?
Irresponsible? Not quite. Ill-advised? Dumb? Yeah.
* Do you find it offensive?
In context, no. If I was unaware of the context, while not personally offended, I would still think it absurdly stupid and bigoted.
* Do you think this is a fire-able offense?
As spelled out, off-duty, and within confines of the policy as stated, no way.
* Do you think the Department has any right to discipline the firefighter?
Not really. It was a dumb move even without ill intent, but technically in bounds. If there are issues, update the policy and keep facing forward.
* What actions, if any, should the department take on the matter?
A closed-door exchange between the FF and his immediate supervisor, involving a verbal 2×4, is probably in order, but without documentation.
* What actions, if any, should the firefighter take to rectify the situation?
Heed the advice administered with the verbal 2×4, stop being stupid, and learn to think before opening mouth or engaging keyboard.
No I am not offended. Even though this post was done off duty you could still be fired under “conduct unbecoming.”