Is firing people for offensive tweets worse than offensive tweets?

The case of three firefighters dismissed from their jobs this week is instructive – and alarming. Two of them, Lawaun Edwards and Matt Bowman, were investigated after their sexist tweets were exposed in a National Post story this summer.  The Toronto Fire Department launched an investigation, first suspending and then firing Mr. Bowman and Mr. Edwards, as well as a third firefighter who is unnamed but may have posted something offensive on Facebook. The key word here is “offensive.” Not illegal, or threatening to a specific individual, but distasteful. The firefighters weren’t tweeting on official City of Toronto accounts.  Read More...