Securing the Clicks Network Security in the Age of Social Media

Case Study: Facebook Posting Leads to Firing

In one recent March 2011 case, a Yorktown School District in New York State fired five employees for a “practical joke” Facebook post.¹ The five tied up, shrink wrapped, and photographed another employee on school grounds. They then posted the picture on Facebook, and administrators found out about the incident when a message was sent to the head of grounds and maintenance. It was not flagged with any type of monitoring software. Even though no charges were pressed, as the tied-up employee was in on the joke, the employees were still fired. One is trying to get his job back. Since the tied-up employee was not being harassed or hazed, they probably thought it was not a problem, but the district thought ...