Jeanfromfillmore
05-24-2010, 09:25 PM
When activism gets you fired
Some employers frown upon workers taking political stances.
By Ambreen Ali
Jason Levin set out to crash the Tea Party movement, but he ended up hurting his own career.
After the Oregon schoolteacher created a website suggesting that liberals infiltrate tea parties to make them appear outlandish, letters poured in from irate parents concerned about his activism.
The school district put Levin on paid administrative leave and launched an investigation into whether he used work time or resources to create the site.
Teachers face more scrutiny over their private actions than most people, but they aren't the only ones who can face consequences for activism. Companies can fire their workers at will in most states, and some activists say that takes people away from their causes.
"People are often scared for being persecuted for their political activities," said David S. Meyer, author of "The Politics of Protest," a history of activism.
The First Amendment requires the government to protect free speech, but state laws determine how private employers can treat their workers. Not all states protect employees from discrimination for their political views.
Lawyer Jason Zuckerman said that employers are still careful about punishing workers for what they do in off hours.
"To recruit and retain a diverse workplace, employers need to avoid developing a reputation for discriminating against employees based on political affiliation," said Zuckerman, who practices at the Employment Law Group in Washington.
Still, tea party coordinator Mark Meckler said people often tell him they are afraid to join the movement because they of consequences they could face at work or in their communities.
"I get this a lot from large donors who are scared to make a big donation. They say, 'What if people attack us for aligning with the tea party,'" Meckler said.
Meckler said he believes the fear is based in reality, saying he knew of at least one activist who was fired for joining the tea party movement.
"To me that just means we're in serious danger," Meckler said. "Your right to be a free-thinking citizen is obviously under attack."
Recent examples like that of the Oregon teacher don't help quell such fears. Around the same time as the "Crash the Tea Party" incident, a Wyoming news anchor was taken off the air for speaking at a tea party rally.
Shad Olson remains employed by the television station, but his demotion prompted protests from local tea partyers who said his right to free speech was being violated.
The station responded by pointing to a Society of Professional Journalists code that advises reporters to "remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility."
Todd Gitlin, who teaches ethics to journalism students at Columbia University, said on-air reporters have to be especially careful because viewers expect them to provide the news with a neutral perspective.
"He's nothing but his reputation," Gitlin said.
Teachers like the one in Oregon are also held to a higher standard. Some activists may wear arrests like a badge of honor, but for teachers any hint of illegal activity can be a career killer.
"It's not a prank when a teacher does it," said Tracey Bailey, education policy director at the Association of American Educators, which provides a teachers' code of ethics .
Bailey said that teachers get extensive training on the ethics of expressing their political views. They can attend political rallies and take part in the political system, but Bailey said Levin's actions show poor judgment.
Levin had suggested that tea party crashers gather personal information from the activists, and in doing so may have suggested identity fraud and illegal behavior.
"If a teacher lets their behavior go too far, even if that behavior is after school hours, they run a very significant risk of losing their job," he said.
Ambreen Ali writes for Congress.org.
http://www.congress.org/news/2010/05/19/when_activism_gets_you_fired
Some employers frown upon workers taking political stances.
By Ambreen Ali
Jason Levin set out to crash the Tea Party movement, but he ended up hurting his own career.
After the Oregon schoolteacher created a website suggesting that liberals infiltrate tea parties to make them appear outlandish, letters poured in from irate parents concerned about his activism.
The school district put Levin on paid administrative leave and launched an investigation into whether he used work time or resources to create the site.
Teachers face more scrutiny over their private actions than most people, but they aren't the only ones who can face consequences for activism. Companies can fire their workers at will in most states, and some activists say that takes people away from their causes.
"People are often scared for being persecuted for their political activities," said David S. Meyer, author of "The Politics of Protest," a history of activism.
The First Amendment requires the government to protect free speech, but state laws determine how private employers can treat their workers. Not all states protect employees from discrimination for their political views.
Lawyer Jason Zuckerman said that employers are still careful about punishing workers for what they do in off hours.
"To recruit and retain a diverse workplace, employers need to avoid developing a reputation for discriminating against employees based on political affiliation," said Zuckerman, who practices at the Employment Law Group in Washington.
Still, tea party coordinator Mark Meckler said people often tell him they are afraid to join the movement because they of consequences they could face at work or in their communities.
"I get this a lot from large donors who are scared to make a big donation. They say, 'What if people attack us for aligning with the tea party,'" Meckler said.
Meckler said he believes the fear is based in reality, saying he knew of at least one activist who was fired for joining the tea party movement.
"To me that just means we're in serious danger," Meckler said. "Your right to be a free-thinking citizen is obviously under attack."
Recent examples like that of the Oregon teacher don't help quell such fears. Around the same time as the "Crash the Tea Party" incident, a Wyoming news anchor was taken off the air for speaking at a tea party rally.
Shad Olson remains employed by the television station, but his demotion prompted protests from local tea partyers who said his right to free speech was being violated.
The station responded by pointing to a Society of Professional Journalists code that advises reporters to "remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility."
Todd Gitlin, who teaches ethics to journalism students at Columbia University, said on-air reporters have to be especially careful because viewers expect them to provide the news with a neutral perspective.
"He's nothing but his reputation," Gitlin said.
Teachers like the one in Oregon are also held to a higher standard. Some activists may wear arrests like a badge of honor, but for teachers any hint of illegal activity can be a career killer.
"It's not a prank when a teacher does it," said Tracey Bailey, education policy director at the Association of American Educators, which provides a teachers' code of ethics .
Bailey said that teachers get extensive training on the ethics of expressing their political views. They can attend political rallies and take part in the political system, but Bailey said Levin's actions show poor judgment.
Levin had suggested that tea party crashers gather personal information from the activists, and in doing so may have suggested identity fraud and illegal behavior.
"If a teacher lets their behavior go too far, even if that behavior is after school hours, they run a very significant risk of losing their job," he said.
Ambreen Ali writes for Congress.org.
http://www.congress.org/news/2010/05/19/when_activism_gets_you_fired