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Woman's private social media leads to wrongful termination

Many Bay Area residents use, or are at least familiar with popular social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Social media can be a great way to let the world know what the poster is up to, or to present his or her views on current events, politics and community happenings. Though social media has taken the world by storm, some employers may take issue with what an employee posts. One woman recently fought a wrongful termination for this reason. 

The woman was employed as a police dispatcher, serving her local community. During the 2016 presidential election, she posted a map showing statistics as to which candidate was currently ahead in each state. A commenter did not agree with her personal choice to support one candidate over the other, and took issue with her publicly cheering as her candidate seemed to pull ahead.

The person left a rude comment that included a racial slur, and the dispatcher responded in her own defense, attempting to use humor to fend off the angry commenter. Hours later she removed the post, fearing that her reply may be misunderstood. When she arrived at work the next day, she was told she was being fired. She filed a wrongful termination lawsuit, and a judge ruled that her supervisors had violated her constitutional rights to free speech. 

If a Bay Area employee needs help defending him or herself against similar inappropriate action on the part of an employer, an experienced employment law attorney can help. An attorney can help a wronged employee fight for his or her rights, and not be pushed around by an employer that has tried to overstep the law. Filing a wrongful termination suit can help ensure that justice is served, and that hard-working men and women need not fear unfair treatment at the hands of an overzealous employer.