Comments on: Workers insult minorities online — employer on the hook?

By: Ann

Ann — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:17:24 +0000

The employer is not out to get neither you nor what you do on your own time. It is basically what negatively “affects” the operations of the business and the performance of the employees. There are blog policies out there that are related to the work environment. You can go to church or be part of a swim club without any worries or problems. However if you sexually harass someone at work or bring a photo of yourself in a bikini and show it off to employees, you could offend someone, that’s inappropriate; that’s clearly wrong. Similarly if you bring bigotry to work, it becomes a workplace issue. Respect others and your personal life is respected.

By: Anna

Anna — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:16:50 +0000

By: james

james — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:12:56 +0000

One must think about what this will mean to you work site. How many of you monitor your employee’s off duty actives? I do not condone any discriminatory. But if this becomes the law of the land, one could say employees that are part of any group that another employee fined discriminatory could make it a hostile work environment. How many of you are part of boy scout, a church, or a swim club. Think about a team photo of you swim time on your team web site now become a sexual hostile work environment. You post you and yours kids hunting trip on line now you have brought guns in to the work place it a hostile work place. Just how many think you can track the active of every one of your employees to make sure they do not post something that’s wrong. Or how many of you think you have employee when you put out policy that you are taking control over off duty work time.

By: Anna Nguyen

Anna Nguyen — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:30:34 +0000

The employer is clearly involved now and have been involved in the past. This site has disrupted the work environment and the performance of employees. It has created hostility between the employees and their rights to attend work are compromised by those they know that are in fact discriminatory. The lawsuit will take it’s course and the offenders along with the employer will be judged. The employer will need to take steps that are non-discriminatory to resolve the matter and use meditation and training to prevent further misunderstandings on their part of “not” taking action to protect the law and their employees. Of course their attorney will give them legal advice to follow including how to get a handle of the site’s contents with the owner/employee.

By: Carlee

Carlee — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:53:07 +0000

While free speech is our inalienable right, it can be taken way too far.

Civil servants are warned on a regular basis not to participate in conduct that will bring infamy to their departments or agencies. Of all people, police officers should know the importance of the warning and move to protect and obtain public trust.

Since the site was specifically for the law enforcement community, it is only natural that officers of all races and genders would read and comment. If derogatory posts are made in public places, they should expect nothing less than hostility, not only from their co-workers, but from the public they are supposed to be serving.

While I don’t believe the department should be held accountable, I certainly believe the owner of the site should be counseled. He should ask his colleagues to not post such horrific comments and warn that inappropriate content will be censored. I most certainly would, if for no other reason than to cover my own posterior and try to prevent more hostilities with my colleagues.

By: Merlynn

Merlynn — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:30:58 +0000

The article indicated that the site was created by an police officer to talk about crime, news, etc. While I think the comments are reprehensible–the individual posting the comments did not direct them specifically at “law enforcement officers”. Perhaps there were other comments that referred to officers directly, however, the comments listed were directed at a specific minority group, i.e., the comment about the children. There should be a discussion with the officer(s) involved. But I would have to say that it might be hard to call this harassment or hostile work environment. I think this is really, really gray. Had the poster been referring to officers directly or even naming law enforcement individuals–then I would say yes, that could be considered harassment or hostile work environment. While my first response is to say–this is totally inappropriate–I would have to consider–someone expressing their personal opinions about a minority group on their own time–that is not exactly the same thing.

By: Angela Roberts

Angela Roberts — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:14:32 +0000

Well, let’s think about what was written in the article:

1) It is alleged the some of the officers DID go to this site while on the job. If nothing else, that could be considered misuse of departmental resources.

2) It is alleged that these negative discussions HAVE come into the workplace, thus creating the hostile work environment.

Some have said that those being offended by the comments shouldn’t visit the site. The intent behind the site was to create a forum whereby officers could discuss matters of law enforcement, and they could share ideas even with members of other precincts who they may rarely get to interact with otherwise. The officers who made the idiotic remarks were obviously identifiable, but didn’t care who saw their comments and did not care that anyone else knew how they felt, including their superiors and fellow officers. -Lack of respect- Since the department did nothing when they were made aware of the matter, these officers were comfortable making any derogatory remarks that came from their hearts–”… as a man speaketh …”

By: james

james — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:29:09 +0000

Let’s think about this for a min. If we make the employer responsible for off time conduct, then the employer should have authority over the employee 24/7. Now that we have given the employer this authority over you and your life, what action can they tell you to stop or you’re fired? Maybe, boy scouts, or how about going to a different church, playing base ball, or how about hunting, reading books you pick you hobby.
With this said now I am and employee and you have al this control over me, should I not get the same benefits off or as while I am at work. I get hurt while play base ball and the employee did not stop I should be able to get work comp for my off time injury. Yes?
Does this mean if I deliver new paper and the news paper write a column about let’s say gods is bad so now people that know me as being a Christian start call me a names can I file suit now. After all there my employer.
So where does my life start and my employer stop?

By: Amanda

Amanda — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:44:52 +0000

Whether it is a personal website or not – if updates are being done by police personnel during work hours then the department should be held liable for not doing anything about it. This behavior does promote a hostile work environment. How can anyone be a police officer and have racist tendencies????? Police officers are sworn to protect the public – all of the public! I think it is ridiculous that these officers are still working. This is the reason why kids are brought up to fear police rather than ask them for help. It is such a shame and such a waste of time. I guess this is one of those situations where we realize that police are not perfect or 100% trustable either.

By: Marsha

Marsha — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 01:20:15 +0000

Given that these are police officers whose attitudes directly affect their ability to protect and serve the communities – minority and nonminority