Facebook post gets worker fired

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/columnists/20090309_Gonzo___Cold_Eagles_sure_are_thin-skinned.html

This story has been getting an inordinate amount of press. Today the Philadelphia Inquirer ran a story on a man, Dan Leone (32 years old), was fired after six years of working at the Eagles' stadium.

Life-long Eagles fan Leone was upset because the Eagles had allowed one of his favorite players, Brian Dawkins, to sign with Denver Broncos. Leone turned to Facebook to vent his frustrations. He set his status as "Dan is [expletive] devastated about Dawkins signing with Denver...Dam Eagles R Retarded!!"

Leone has admitted that was a "mistake" and that he cleared his status shortly there after. Somehow it got back to the Eagles organization and Leone was terminated without a warning, suspension or even a face-to-face meeting.

The article argues that, since the Eagles only defense was a statement that "Dan was a seasonal game-day employee and not a full time member of the Eagles staff," they are saying that part time employees are disposable.

But the message the Eagles sent seems to say more than just that. The Eagles have communicated how powerful Facebook can become. We always hear how inappropriate material on a facebook profile can deter admissions at universities from accepting kids, or even how college students applying for a job can be hurt by the content of their facebook profile but this is a new benchmark. This 32 year-old man had been working the same job, with no known complaints, for six years and was suddenly fired because of a sentence (fragment) posted (temporarily) on facebook.

Facebook should remain a venue for social interaction and expressing opinions. It should not become grounds for unemployment in our society.