It's all fun and games until someone loses a job

Workers warned about provocative online profiles

By Rebecca Mamola

- For the CDT

UNIVERSITY PARK — Job hunters often are concerned about what potential employers will see on social networking sites, but now there is a new worry: What if you are already hired?

MCT illustration/Martin Gee, San Jose Mercury News

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Leanna Licare, a pharmaceutical marketing major at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, encountered this problem when she started her new job at a CVS store in April. She sent her boss a Facebook “friend” request, but when her boss saw pictures of her at parties, including one in which she was holding a beer can, Licare was told to take them down or be fired.

Licare said she was just trying to be open at her new job. “I decided to leave just because it was awkward and uncomfortable and just unethical,” she said. “I didn’t want to have to be sneaky.”

Dan Leone, who was an employee of the Philadelphia Eagles, encountered a similar problem when he changed his Facebook status to include a negative comment about the team after it traded a player. He was fired shortly afterward.

Stories like this are sparking a debate about whether employers should have the right to fire an employee because of something that happens outside of work.

Students at Penn State have mixed views.

“I think it is ridiculous,” said journalism major Diana Rodriguez. “A person’s personal life shouldn’t affect their job. It’s an invasion of privacy.”

Labor and employee relations major Drew Taucher said he thinks that once something is placed on the Internet, it’s everyone’s business.

Education majors must be especially careful. The legal division of the Pennsylvania State Education Association reminds educators that their First Amendment rights can be limited because of their position as school employees.

The PSEA has rules, regulations and guidelines for teachers and education majors as to what is acceptable in online postings.

“If we found out a teacher had inappropriate material on his or her Facebook account, we’d have to talk with the person and have it removed immediately,” said Debra Latta, State College Area High School South Building principal.

“Teachers can be fired for not being of ‘good moral character,’ according to the Pa. School Code,” she noted. “We talk to our newly hired younger teachers all the time about this kind of thing.”

Facebook users have more to worry about than just employers seeing their information.

High schools are beginning to use Facebook and other social networking sites to check on students if they sense a potential problem.

According to Latta, State College Area High School’s security and administration has its own “fake” Facebook account so they can pull up students’ personal accounts when needed.

Coaches also are watching what their players do in their free time.

Scott Richards plays in Britain’s equivalent to NCAA basketball. In October 2007, he went out with teammates the night before a game. He said he knew to avoid cameras, but his teammates weren’t as careful. Other players posted pictures from their night out, including one with Richards in the background.

The result was a two-week suspension from playing basketball.

“I don’t even drink anymore,” said Richards, “but my coach still says to me, ‘Good night last night?’ every time I look slightly tired or anything like that.”

Penn State undergraduate Matthew Radle said it doesn’t matter who the person is or what they are doing: “If a person can’t put something on their profile, then they probably shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.”