A working mother in Oklahoma was fired over a derogatory post and photo of police outside the restaurant where she worked.
A Chili’s waitress was terminated this week after her employer was informed about a Facebook post including a photo of police officers labelled as “stupid”.
Ashley Warden published a photo of three Oklahoma County Sheriff’s deputies outside Chili’s with the caption “Stupid cops better hope I’m not their server FDP.”
The post went viral on law enforcement sites, and received enough attention and outrage that her employer was informed and she was dismissed.
Piedmont Police Chief Alex Oblein told local radio station KFOR-TV the post could have meant anything.
"It could mean bad service, it could mean tampering with food," he said. "You don’t know what it means. It just makes you a little weary."
In a statement to the press, a Chili's spokesperson said Warden violated the company's Social Media Guidelines.
"Here at Chili's, the privacy and safety of our guests as well as the quality of food we serve each day is of utmost importance," read the statement. "With the changing world of digital and social media, Chili's has Social Media Guidelines in place, asking our team members to always be respectful of our guests and to use proper judgment when discussing actions in the work place."
Warden had previously had a run in with the local police department when she was fined for allowing her 3-year-old son to urinate outside her house. Oblein noted that the men in the photo were Oklahoma County Deputies.
"[They] had nothing to do with Piedmont, but I guess she got a bad taste in her mouth for law enforcement in general," he said.
Would this be sufficient for dismissal from your organization?