Post a vulgar comment while you’re at work, lose your job
Courtesy altemark via Flickr
Note: This is cross-posted from my personal blog.
A single vulgar word cost a man his job on Friday.
It all started with Friday’s edition of Talk of the Day, a regular blog on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s website, STLtoday.com. Talk of the Day is exactly that. A conversation around the water-cooler topic of the day. Friday’s edition is often a little lighter. Last week, it was about the strangest things you’ve ever eaten, loosely pegged on a story about deer meat.
By mid-morning, a number of folks had commented about their experiences with Bird’s Nest Soup, octopus, cow brains and rattlesnake. Then, while I was in our 10 a.m. news meeting, someone posted in reply a single word, a vulgar expression for a part of a woman’s anatomy. It was there only a minute before a colleague deleted it.
A few minutes later, the same guy posted the same single-word comment again. I deleted it, but noticed in the WordPress e-mail alert that his comment had come from an IP address at a local school. So I called the school. They were happy to have me forward the e-mail, though I wasn’t sure what they’d be able to do with the meager information it included.
About six hours later, I heard from the school’s headmaster. The school’s IT director took a shine to the challenge. Long story short: Using the time-frame of the comments, our website location and the IP addresses in the WordPress e-mail, he tracked it back to a specific computer. The headmaster confronted the employee, who resigned on the spot.
I’m not identifying the guy who posted the comment because, obviously, I don’t know who it was. I’m not identifying the school because, frankly, it’s not important to the story and I have no interest in embarrassing the people there.
Kurt has been an editor at the Post-Dispatch since August 2002, working on both STLtoday and the newspaper. He's been a journalist since 1982, covering municipal government, courts, education and two hurricanes as a reporter before becoming an editor. 
Was his “nom-de-net” llbean?
Wow. I wonder why he felt the need to use the vulgarity when another word would have conveyed pretty much the same message: chicken, coward, sissy etc. It sounds like the guy was unhappy in his job and pushed the envelope a little too much. His loss.
you guys don’t like moderating so you call his work and get him fired. Nice. Happy holidays.
@Ghetto: Yeah, you caught me! I made him log on to his computer at work, visit STLtoday.com’s Talk of the Day, read the item, type a vulgarity and hit the “submit” key.
Interesting perspective. Thanks for your contribution.
Oh, I didn’t say he was fired. I said he resigned.
Kurt,look like your Holiday (aka-Christmas) present is going be a big cheese ball-Bon Appetite!!
–At least you could tell us his “nom-de-net”.
On the serious side Mr.Greenbaum,look like a pink slip may be in your future.It really look like you step out of bounds by doing this.Oh,Power Of The Press Man,please do not delete this post!
I’m with Ghetto Prez on this one….Why didn’t you just shoot him an email that said, “Hey, I notice your IP is from a XXXX-School District. Please refrain from using profanity on our website, lest we notify your employer.” Now we have to worry about the Post turning us in for posting something on their website? Instead, you used your leverage to basically force someone to resign.
Was the OP out of line? Absolutely. Did the Post just cross a line I am not comfortable with? As Sarah Palin would say, “You Betcha.” Are you actively trying to alienate the few readers you have left or what?
If you guys are THAT worried about it, use the software where you have to approve comments BEFORE they appear. I’ve seen enough racist comments on this website to certainly justify it.
What an abuse of power, Mr. Greenbaum!!! So is the Post Dispatch now a Gestapo Agent? What a sick and terrible thing you did to this employee in an economy where he probably doesn’t stand a chance in getting another job! I recommend that YOU get fired for abuse of power!!!!! See how YOU feel!!!
Great journalism Kurt.