Kaiser Permanente Nurse Latest Example That First Amendment Doesn’t Extend To Protection From Employers
Faith Linthicum lost her job after posting about Stephon Clark in her Facebook comments.
Sacramento Bee:
Venting On Social Media? Yes, You Can, But The First Amendment Won't Save Your Job
Sacramento-area residents recently got a lesson in this after Kaiser Permanente fired nurse Faith Linthicum, who had worked at its Roseville Medical Center, over her Facebook comments. In one of them, she said that Stephon Clark, the unarmed black man killed March 18 by Sacramento police, "deserved it." After losing her job, Linthicum went to the crowdfunding site GoFundMe.com seeking money to help pay her bills. The headline for her campaign was "RN Fired for exercising 1st AMD." Kaiser, however, in its statement noting that it had let an employee go, said free speech only goes so far, stating that it does not tolerate hate or discrimination and has a long history of embracing diversity and inclusion. (Anderson, 4/13)