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As we’ve been reporting, there has been a good deal of controversy in Columbus, Mississippi over a Facebook post that resulted in the resignation of Firefighter Brad Alexander and the 30-day suspensions of two other firefighters and a cop. The post that caused all of this had been taken down from Alexander’s personal Facebook page and until now had not been part of the news coverage. Sarah Wilson at the Columbus Packet was able to track down the actual post and it was published this morning:
People never cease to amaze me. Mama yelling oh my baybee my baybee….Hey you stupid ass, where was babyeees mama at while your 2 year old was getting hit by a truck. Mama needs to have her guts cut so there wont be anymore babies. Freeloading ignorant woman
Lance Luckey, Damon Estes, Eric Minga and 12 others like this
The posting on Facebook came after Alexander responded to a child struck by a pickup truck on August 20th. According to the Columbus Packet, two-year-old Tyree Sparks Jr. was being watched by a family friend when he ran from the porch into the street and was hit. The boy recovered from relatively minor head injuries:
Shanta Henley, Tyree’s Aunt and Classie Craddieth, his grandmother raced from another neighbors home across Military Rd. as soon as they saw the commotion. Henley and Craddieth held the boys hands to calm him until emergency responders arrived minutes later. Sparks’ Aunt, Shanta Henley,accompanied Sparks in the ambulance and Craddieth and another Aunt, Shameka Nickelson, followed them to Baptist Hospital.
They said that the mother of the child,Terrance Henley, was actually on her way back from Columbus High School , where she is a Senior, when the accident occurred and was extremely emotional after she learned her child had been struck.
Read entire Columbus Packet article
Reporter Wilson writes that relatives of the boy are quite upset about the post and are considering legal action. Also, a group of citizens are organizing a fundraiser to assist the Facebook 4, as they have been dubbed.
Much of the controversy stems around the suspensions for Firefighter Damon Estes, Firefighter Eric Minga and Police Officer Lance Luckey who hit “like” after reading the post. Columbus, Mississippi does not have a social media policy.
According to Wilson, there is no comment from city officials about the identities of the other 12 people who clicked “like” for this now infamous post.
Also on STATter911 …
- Hit ‘Like’ on Facebook & be suspended for 30 days. If you don’t believe me just ask two firefighters & a cop in Columbus, Mississippi. – September 5, 2012
- Facebook comment takes down another one. Columbus, MS firefighter resigns after controversial post. – September 4, 2012
- Union blows whistle on rookie hazing in Garland, Texas. Chief praised for suspensions of three firefighters & a captain. – June 9, 2012
- Raw video: Gas main on fire with house as exposure in Columbus, Indiana. – June 14, 2012
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…the family is considering legal action. There’s a twist that people don’t think about when they’re firing off a Facebook opinion. Slander and defamation of character. Guess we need to consult Curt Varone, to see just how sue-able someone is, if they fail to “count to ten” before pressing POST.
Nothing against Statter, but I love the irony of the headline: “… Facebook post… caused … firefighter to resign. Three others get … suspensions for hitting ‘Like’.”
Scroll down two inches and what do we see?
“Click here to follow STATter911.com on Facebook (hit ‘Like’).”
Dave, you trying to get us all in trouble?
You didn’t read the fine print beside the link, Mr618. In fact, it’s so fine it’s invisible!
There is an old saying” i may not like what he says, but i will defend to the death his right to say it.
in the comment i read “an observation and a question”. i read no direct threat, just an opinion. granted the language is pointed, but on the subject it happened in on the street and anyone that was there with a facebook account could have commented-but a firefighter did and as i posted before based on what i had seen i bet that it was a white firefighter and the victim black. I was right because in any other case the question would have gone unnoticed. BUT as evidenced by the venacular of the post, it was obvious
but race aside he could have commented straight and this probibly would not have even been an issue because the question in my opinion was valid and frankly in the same sitation (not because i’m black too) i would have asked WHERE WAS THE MOM too?
what troubles me is somebody getting tagged for “liking” somebodys post. to me that is a gross violation of the freedom of speech and association AND what sucks is that this is not the first time. a group of sheriffs employees were fired because they “liked” the opponants site of the person running against the sitting sheriff.
should this guy get repremanded? since he commented on something that happened in the public eye the event was open for public comment. “how” he commented obviously using written black dialect is what’s going to and should get him tagged.
is it termanatible offence? i dont think so because he did his job, treated the victi and when it ws over he sat down behind a computer and wrote a comment and somebody else liked it and that, should not get a guy fired…it should get him a mental emema on what not to write on your FB page and the “likers” get a walk.
the question is valid because in the same case i (as an emergency responder) would have asked the same question. But in this case, a white firefighter is questioning a black woman (in the south-using written inflection of black dialect to make his point) and the firefighter didnt have the good sense to throttle his judgement, SO, the mother is going to use that bad judgement to try to get paid.
this has to play out on several points and it aint gonna be easy and the conclusion is going to effect everybody
RJ,
As I wrote from the start in this one to those who judged this case one way or the other, I didn’t believe there was enough information to have an opinion. Now that I know what was written I have to say it was pretty outrageous and not up to the standards I would expect from the people we trust to protect us.
Whether ultimately it is decided this type of speech is protected, I personally think that posting your opinion in a public forum about the relatives of people you have cared for while on the job is really a stupid thing to do and reflects poorly upon the person doing it and firefighters as a profession. When you do this you are violating that public trust.
As for the racial angle, while there are cases that racial sensitivity turns situations into a news story or an issue, I can honestly say that any reporter I know who saw this post from a firefighter who was involved in caring for the child would see this as a news story no matter the race of anyone connected to the story.
What was posted is something that shouldn’t leave the firehouse and before Facebook and the Internet didn’t. There is a parallel to the pranks that used to not be known beyond the firehouse but are now seen all over Facebook and cause trouble for the firefighters involved (think Macon-Bibb County).
I am possibly more sympathetic to those who hit the “like” button and are in trouble.
For those who think what was written is okay, I ask how you would feel if your doctor, nurse, psychiatrist, priest, preacher or rabbi posted pointed opinions about you or your family on Facebook. In the end, there is the possibility they may have a legal right to do so, but morally and ethically they would be wrong.
The Constitution guarantees us freedom of speech, it doesn’t guarnatee us a job. If we want to hold onto our jobs we need to meet the responsibilities and standards those jobs require.
Statter
Dave,
We’re talking about standards or expectations for speech, and particularly (or exclusively) public speech.
Should we take this thinking into the realm of thought itself?
We have an expectation that a public servant won’t conduct themselves publicly in a manner that undermines their role, our trust, etc. That includes public speech.
What about private speech? Facebook maybe sorta seems to be cracking the wall, if you wall, between public and private persona. It’s creating transparency of character, so to speak.
Should we commence expectations that public servants in private don’t talk, think, etc. in outrageous ways?
I ponder if Facebook and social media (and leakage of private communication) might be taking us in that direction. Or at least in the direction of an illusion.
The illusion or false expectation that public servants (in private) should be… wholesome or untainted or without sharp edges.
Or is that expectation more true than we realize? e.g, if such talk should “stay in the firehouse,” is it still okay to have such talk?
Cue the Thought Police theme song.
mjl
Dave: I will agree that what he said was stupid but sight unseen i knew it was only a story because of the race angle and on that topic i’m with you, it dosent matter, because he should not have written it and wether it survives the 1st amendment test is up to others.
im not defending what he wrote but the long term question is going to be does he have a right to express it on social media? and should somebody be tagged for liking someone elses opinion on social media and does your employer have the right to dicipline you for what you do on social media because i believe the answer is going to be incident specific because if i like the ravens and my boss is a bucs fan, can he fire me for that?
IMHO, if that was my employee I would have given him the option of retiring or being terminated.
Sure, we all have those thoughts. Sure, we even say them out loud, to one another. But if you don’t have enough sense to realize that a FB post is basically public and open to the world, you shouldn’t be working in this business.
This was stupid. From several standpoints. I must wonder if this guy has any kids of his own. They can disappear in a second. Maybe there is more to the story, but based on the post, there is no evidence either way that this mother screwed up or that the kid just disappeared for a minute.
I believe that the problem goes deeper than just giving more consideration to what you say (or even “like) on Facebook. It is natural for anyone, even seasoned emergency responders, to get angry and want to blame someone but there have to be other outlets for that response. 911 systems are not set up to ensure that someone receives judgement in 7 minutes or less. You have to give bystanders and patients the benefit of the doubt. Not because I say so, but because that is just part of the job. Where was momma? Selling crack? At high school? Working in the soup kitchen? Taking EMT class? I don’t know and it isn’t my job to investigate and pass judgement. If you feel a law was broken, tell a cop. Otherwise, the lesson that I take away from a call like this is I help build-in a reflex for my kids to grab an adult’s hand before going near the street. But that’s a lesson for me. Those people at the scene? They may have pissed me off, but I don’t know them.
Political correctness run amuck! Unless they made the post or hit like on a fire department computer while on duty then it’s no ones business but their own. And even if they were on duty, how many people sit at their desk on facebook all day liking this or that. My employer sends me to ethics training and tells me to avoid social media and then tells everyone to go to their facebook page and like it! Ironic huh! I have the same opinion about alot of the patients, parents and situations that I respond to but I still give them the best care that my training allows. I don’t have to agree with their lifestyle choices to effectively perform my job. When the Government at any level starts dictating what you can think and say as an individual then we are in trouble as a free nation.
Going by the little snippets of the news story nobody was watching the kid. It says the aunt and grandmother came running over once they saw the commotion. Which means they had no idea the kid got away. I have many nieces and nephews and when they “get away”someone is always within a few feet of snatching them back up. You never let a two year old out of your sight especially when they’re outside. The only thing wrong with this post is that it should have been directed towards the aunt and grandmother.
When my wife moved in with me she had a 6yo son. She got upset because a nieghbor yelled at him for the way he was riding his bike. I explained that was the way it is in my nieghborhood. Nieghbors watch out for each other.
As a parent I know how hard it is to watch a child 24/7. If thier outside should I stand by and guard thier every movement. I don’t remember my mother or father doing that. This was an accident. It had nothing to do with the location of the mother or guardian. Accidents happen. But because the mother is of color and young its assumed that she is a bad mother.
Would the FB comments have been written if the mother was white? over 25? Married? in the house? watching the child? NO
I don’t know about that. I’ve read some pretty disturbing things that white women do to/with their children and I have no problem saying it like it is. The color of someone’s skin has nothing to do with how stupid they are.
Sounds like the department needs a mental health program. This poor firefighter is probably feeling the mental stress of repeatedly seeing children hurt by absent and/or thoughtless care givers. We should be glad that Facebook is his stress reliever and not booze/drugs/wife beating/etc
Interesting way to look at it. Good luck with that defense.
Statter
Face Book users – might just wanna engage your brain before posting.
I still don’t get, maybe because I’m an old man. Whats there to gain from posting “your life” on face book. Like those stick figure families, I don’t care if your bored at school, going to wal mart, eating dinner or drunk. Must be the self esteem boost one receives from being “liked”??
While I agree with the former fireman’s thoughts. Would he have made those comments face to face? Of course not, cause that would entail being a man.
Sometimes the truth hurts.
Rather than cause/blame being placed in the correct direction (innattentive mother/parent/caregivers), we focus on some off-hand reaction from someone who has to aid in these situations, which is becoming all too familiar. No one can ever admit fault or take responsibility until they are backed into a corner. And even then, its a stretch. Instead, people will offer up excuses and reasons and be persuasive in their reasoning, eventually developing sympathy from everyone else.
If the firefighter in question was looking for an actual change in the parenting or lack there of in his city, there are city depts. and services (PD or CYS i.e.) that would be more than willing to take the complaint and investigate. Nothing will get accomplished by posting something on the internet. (hmm…I think I’m opperating in a conundrum here)
Well, you can’t fix stupid folks and that’s exactly what the former MS firefighter showed himself to be when he posted a comment of that type on Facebook. His anger at the situation is understandable and many of us have been in similar situations ourselves and felt similar emotions, but he definitely carried it too far. As for the terminations and suspensions, I think that went too far. The F/F undoubtedly deserved discipline, but I don’t think what he did rises to the level of termination. As for the two F/F’s and one cop who hit ‘like’ on the Facebook posting, I think their suspensions were unjustified and will be overturned; if not on appeal then by the courts. Bottom line is that there’s no such thing as an expectation of privacy on the internet, and people should think before they post or write.
Public servants see this aspect of society day and and day out and it can eventually get to even the most seasoned of vets.
Shifting blame however for the familys poor choices that led to the childs injuries accomplishes nothing. The family especially, and the public in general should not shift their guilt toward off color coments made in poor taste by the fire fighter. Bottom line, you have an underage mother and seamingly inattentive family members caring for that same child, a situation too often seen.
Could the fire fighter have found a better way to express their frustrations, absolutely. Should they be repromanded, maybe. But it’s time society recognize this situation for what it is instead giving in to of political correctness. I suspect the family may be financially rewarded for the fire fighters inappropriateness but in there end, you have no winners.
Lizard,
I have to respectfully disagree with you. If firefighters start thinking their job is to judge those they treat and lash out publicly in what can only be a fruitless effort to correct the ills they see, I believe they are going to lose more than they gain. It may be your right to do so, but I don’t see it bringing anything positive to the fire service.
The public still sees you as someone they trust and as someone they can rely on in times of trouble. If you want the public to think of your profession as something special, then act that way.
I don’t see a bit of good for the fire service going public with conversations that should stay in the firehouse.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely support the right to speak this way, but I think it is foolish.
Look, I have the right to go on Facebook and name every anonymous source who provided me information when I was a reporter. There is nothing illegal about it. But it would be absolutely stupid, destroy what people think of me and would be morally and ethically wrong. Just because you have the right to do something (and that remains to be seen in some of these cases) doesn’t mean you should.
Sorry for being so opinionated on this, but I hate to see good people going down in flames on very misguided missions that really provide no gain. I also hate to see the further erosion of the image of firefighters.
Statter
Dave, this looks like ANOTHER example of someone thinking that their right to freedom of speech entitles them to say whatever they want, whenever they want, without being held accountable or responsible for it.
Granted, it was a long time ago, but thats not quite the way I learned it in school.
Brad did NOT give a location, date or names of anyone involved in his Facebook post. I personally don’t agree with his rough language but it still is a general post. Why in the world does the Packet rile things up by giving names, etc??? Leave it a general post: just as it was!!!