9to5Nightmares: Reactions to Charlie Kirk’s Shooting and Social Media Misconduct Scandals
We talk about misconduct so you can avoid it.
In episode 17 of the #9to5Nightmares Podcast, hosts Amy Warren and Micole Garatti break down the most recent scandals impacting workplaces around the country. From online reactions to the Charlie Kirk assassination to healthcare staffers posting a video of patient rooms after appointments in humiliating and violating ways, this month was certainly not short of social media misconduct impacting the workplace.
Watch the episode to hear about:
Case 1: TikTok Video Shows Santa Barbara Clinic Staff Mocking Patients
A TikTok video from healthcare facility, Sansum Clinic, in Santa Barbara showed eight staff members making fun of bodily fluids on exam tables, using captions like "Guess the substance!" and "Are patients allowed to leave you guys gifts?" The video, which a former employee posted, received strong public backlash.
The video was a significant problem because it showed healthcare workers mocking patients and their bodily fluids, which is disrespectful and a major violation of patient privacy and dignity. The public outrage stemmed from the fact that medical professionals, who are expected to treat patients with compassion and respect, were instead seen engaging in shaming behavior. The incident raised questions about the clinic's culture with people online asking “what is the culture of your clinic because why did this many employees feel comfortable participating in this?”
The clinic's owner released a statement renouncing the staff’s action and that the employees involved were terminated within 48 hours. The original poster was not an employee when the video went up, but others who appeared in it were fired. (LA Times)
Case 2: FDNY Assistant Commissioner Dismissed After Controversial Training Video Surfaces
A video went viral showing minority students in an FDNY training program being forced to move cotton balls with their hands tied behind their backs. The footage, filmed at the department's Youth Leadership Academy, was originally described as a team-building exercise. The video led to immediate public outrage. In response, the FDNY fired a longtime assistant commissioner and the training instructor who led the exercise. The New York City Schools Chancellor, Melissa Aviles-Ramos, condemned the incident, stating that such behavior was "insensitive" and not aligned with their values.
This scandal was a failure on the department in numerous ways, the crux of which was the training exercise itself. Forcing minority students to transport cotton with their hands tied behind their backs evoked painful and offensive historical imagery related to slavery and the treatment of Black people in America. Cotton is a symbol of slavery, and the exercise was at the very least deeply insensitive, disrespectful, and created a hostile environment, which is unacceptable in any professional training program.
The fact that the exercise, which was completed by minors as part of a school program, was recorded added to the egregious act. It wasn't just a one-off, private incident; it was an officially sanctioned and documented part of an FDNY program that was recorded and used as part of future training. This suggested that the department, at some level, approved of or was at least unaware of the exercise. The fact that the behavior was normalized and accepted within the department calls into question the department's oversight and judgement.
The decision to post the video on social media was the final catalyst for the widespread backlash. This action made the offensive and violating act public content, and it was a public relations disaster for the FDNY. Social media platforms amplify content rapidly, and the video's virality ensured that the public, media, and NY government officials including Mayor Eric Adams would see the incident. The public nature of the post forced the FDNY to take swift and public action to address the issue. The FDNY removed the longtime assistant commissioner who posted the video and the trainer who hosted the initial exercise. (PIX 11)
Fama Findings: Screening Exposes Potential Airline Executive Before Promotion
Earlier this year, Fama screened high profile executives at an airline ahead of a potential promotion. The screening uncovered several social posts and articles in which the candidate was accused of extramarital affairs with several subordinate employees over the course of the candidate’s decades-long tenure. With this information, the airline was able to make an educated decision on how to proceed with selecting a candidate for the new, executive role.
Uncovering this type of information about executives is critical as a new study finds that CEOs are 5 times more likely to survive fraud than a personal scandal. The reason being that it’s much easier to suggest someone else was involved in fraud than personal scandals, which reflect poorly on the leader as well as the organization for hiring them, not effectively mitigating the risk, and not holding the leadership accountable.
For more details on the scandals, watch the full episode below.
Watch the Full Episode
Catch the latest #9to5Nightmares episode and hear the full breakdown of these cases.
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