One of the lifeguards fired from the Maplewood Family Aquatic Center told 40 South via text (requested anonymity) that ‘inappropriate’ jokes on a chat app were the reason for the firings.
According to the former Maplewood Family Aquatic Center lifeguard:
The group chat was created about two years ago with the intention of giving a means of communication between all the life guards. We used it for work purposes (picking up/dropping shifts), get togethers outside of work, and occasional jokes. The jokes were the things that they didn’t take lightly to, and fired anyone who put in anything that they deemed raunchy or inappropriate.
See also: Maplewood Aquatic Center lifeguards fired over social media use, Lifeguards quit before being fired: Post-Dispatch
What if some of the lifeguards were taking photos of patrons at the pool and sharing them?!? What if they were saying *truly* disgusting things about patrons and/or other guards? Like really disgusting. What if a lifeguard was making out with his girlfriend while he was supposed to on the job, a job that is watching out for the safety of you/your kids?!? Lots of people are freaking out about this, but they do NOT know the reasons that these lifeguards were fired. Until you know the reasons they were fired, you all seriously need to chill out.
It is like this, the parks department should be considered in the right unless the fired employees can demonstrate otherwise. Why? Because the employer is not free to comment, whereas the workers *are*. A complete airing of all of the “‘raunchy’ jokes” is the only way for the folks who were fired to make a case why they should not have been. The burden of proof lies 100% with them. If they choose not to make *all* of the material posted public, then we should conclude that the parks authority was fully justified in terminating them. It’s put up or shut up time.
Overreaction much? Unless the joke were overtly racist, misogynist, or otherwise virulent, a warning would’ve sufficed. These are lifeguards working a summer job, not members of the president’s cabinet.
Agreed!
Agreed times two
If 10 people go to happy hour and talk about their boss who is not there that is life. If those same ten people go to happy hour and 9 talk bad about 1, that can carry over to the next days work shift and possibly be deemed harassment or a hostile work environment. Social media is a 24/7 happy hour. Also, I bet lots of the social media was happening while these guards were on duty, thereby making it City business.
If this wasn’t city time, city phones or a city sponsored site how can the city fire them? What happened to freedom of speech? I really don’t understand what grounds they had. I really have to wonder if there is more to this. If not, it will be interesting to see if lawyers get involved.
I can only assume that this type of behavior, if that is the real reason for the firings, is pretty similar to those of us who speed or squeak thru on the yellow light that turns red in the middle of the intersection. They think that lots of folks do the same type of things on social media and never get caught so I probably won’t either.
It has happened to lots of adults who thought their phone were their personal domain and it is just not so. Parents as well as the kids need to know that colleges, employers and others can and do look at social media to see what you are saying, thinking, googling, surfing, watching movies and whatever else you can do on the phones. It can be out there and someone can figure out a way to look at it. Maybe this is a new lesson on how the world works just like not showing up for work or doing your job can be a reason to let you go.
So, this generation needs to understand that everything that goes out into the universe via technology has an effect. I know no details but figure the administration or bosses have the right to decide what they deem appropriate. Cause and effect.
Agree.