TORONTO – After making derogatory comments on a Facebook page set up to memorialize bullying victim Amanda Todd, an Ontario man made headlines for being fired from his part-time job at a retail outlet.
The man, identified as Justin Hutchings, reportedly posted “Thank God this b—- is dead,” on the memorial page for Todd, who killed herself last week after being taunted online by cyber-bullies and schoolmates.
Calgary mother Christine Claveau noticed the post and made it her mission to track down the person who wrote it.
Claveau found out where he worked and e-mailed his employer, Grafton-Fraser, about the incident. The Toronto-based menswear chain took immediate action and fired him.
In an e-mail to Global News, Dave McGregor, president and CEO of Grafton-Fraser said, “The individual in question was a part-time employee of our company and we took appropriate and justifiable action. Our company ethics are based on tolerance, respect and fair and honourable treatment of all individuals, internally, with our customers and the population as a whole.”
“We have zero tolerance for mistreatment of others no matter what form it takes,” read the e-mail.
Get daily National news
Hutchings’ firing highlights an important lesson to those online – think before you post.
“These cases are happening all the time, but now we got somebody from Calgary who alerts someone’s employer in Toronto – welcome to the new world of Internet publication,” said legal specialist Lorne Honickman.
“On the Internet, or the Wild West as I call it, you can think all the ideas you want, but the moment you put them down and publish them you can face serious ramifications. People put things on Facebook, on blogs and don’t think about the consequences.”
According to Honickman, under employment law a person can be fired if the company has just cause, but they have to give them pay and lieu of notice. Then, of course, there is company policy.
“I don’t know if this company in particular says you can’t publish defamatory content – there are so many factors we don’t know about. Was this published on the company’s Internet, or from the individual’s home? Who knows – but if the person has agreed to a contract that says they are not to publish any defamatory content then they are breeching that contract,” said Honickman.
Details surrounding the employee’s contract have not been released.
Honickman said that if Hutchings has any concerns about his firing that he should speak to council, or someone who is knowledgeable in employment law – though he noted that many part-time employees don’t take legal action in these cases due to the expenses involved.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.