School bus driver fired after obscene gesture at President Bush

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Considering that those kids will swear and use those gestures later in life (and probably already do), I wonder what the big issue is

Though you meant it in sarky way, you still made my point.

Since the kids will someday be performing oral sex. Why not now?

Why not?

[MichelleandCraig 1]

I guess I consider that any adult in a child's life should be at least *attempting* to be a role model....not as a person/job to aspire to, but as the correct way to behave. Just my opinion. M.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

IMO, can't find fault with someone for choosing to exercise an existent right through such gesture when the pols (either party) have been doing it (figuratively in the case of US; literally in the case of Trudeau against Canada) for a long time.

QED

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

IMO, can't find fault with someone for choosing to exercise an existent right through such gesture when the pols (either party) have been doing it (figuratively in the case of US; literally in the case of Trudeau against Canada) for a long time.

QED

First ammendment rights don't carry over into the workplace. I remember a case were a guy was fired for wearing the wrong sports team shirt to work. He lost his case when he took it to court.

[Carol&Marc 0]

To everyone that thinks this person should not be fired. Go to work this morning walk into your office and flip everyone off, then come back here and tell us what happened!

[Ban Hammer 13,633]

To everyone that thinks this person should not be fired. Go to work this morning walk into your office and flip everyone off, then come back here and tell us what happened!

i'm sure they'll have lots of time to tell us about it

[DeadPoolX 9]

Well, first of all, it was entirely within the school's right to fire the bus driver for whatever reason they chose to do so. The school could claim it's for "using an obscene gesture in front of junior high school students and providing a bad example" or they could say it's due to "giving the finger to the President of the United States." Either one is legal grounds for termination under "Employment At Will." Granted, the former case would stand up better (morally speaking) in most people's minds, but under "Employment At Will" the school does not need to give the bus driver a reason for letting her go.

Second, every state within the union (with the exception of Montana) is an "Employment At Will" state. What this means, in plain English, is that an employee may quit their job whenever and for whatever reason they want, usually without consequence; likewise, an employer may fire an employee whenever and for whatever reason they want as well, also usually without consequence. Either party may end the relationship without prior notice, but neither party may breach contracts. Employers cannot violate state or federal laws, and generally cannot rightfully terminate employees who refuse to do something that is contrary to public policy and sound morality, such as breaking the law. But with these few exceptions aside, it's pretty much open season on employees year round.

Please do note that "Employement At Will" is NOT the same as "Right-To-Work" as the two are very different in their scope and what they intend to accomplish.

Now then...do I agree with firing the bus driver? Yes, I do. She flipped off the President of the United States in full view of children and then had the idiocy to brag about it to her colleagues. That's three strikes against her. Honestly, if you want to express your political view, there are better ways to do it than obscene gestures; furthermore, you don't do it while on the job and then go telling everyone you know about it! She was careless and stupid, and in my opinion, deserved to be released from her position.

Oh, and by the way...I believe someone earlier in this thread asked something about how one could "respect the office and not the man?" I think that's quite simple. I'm attending a university right now, and while I certainly don't respect every professor I have, I can respect the amount of effort and knowledge they have, and their position. The same goes for the presidency -- some may not like George W. Bush, but the office of the president is one that still needs to be respected, if for no other reason than past and future presidents.

Edited November 3, 2006 by DeadPoolX