4 Misconduct in the News September 2025

Online Behavior, Workplace Risks, and Employer Lessons

September 2025 surfaced a new wave of misconduct scandals, reminding employers how quickly behavior, online or offline, can spill into headlines and reputational risk. From healthcare staff mocking patients on TikTok to a detention center worker posting violent rhetoric on Facebook, these cases illustrate how employee conduct signals can erode trust and safety in any workplace.

TikTok Video Shows Santa Barbara Clinic Staff Mocking Patients

In Santa Barbara, a TikTok video from Sansum Clinic, a nonprofit outpatient facility owned by Sutter Health, showed eight staff members mocking bodily fluids on exam tables with captions like “Guess the substance!” and “Are patients allowed to leave you guys gifts?” The video, originally posted by a former employee, sparked public outrage.

Sutter Health confirmed that several individuals who appeared in the clip were immediately terminated. The incident underscores how even moments of poor judgment online can escalate into organizational liability, especially in healthcare, where trust is paramount. (LA Times)

Fama’s State of Misconduct at Work in 2024 found that healthcare was among the sectors most exposed to reputational harm from online behavior, particularly when misconduct undermines patient safety.

Orange County Detention Center Employee Fired Over Inflammatory Social Media Posts

An Orange County Detention Center employee was dismissed after inflammatory Facebook posts advocating violence, including references to “war crimes trials” and even “bring back the guillotine.” The comments, widely circulated online, made clear how quickly public trust collapses when government employees endorse violence. (The News of Orange County)

Fama’s data shows that trust-dependent roles such as law enforcement, educators, and public officials carry near-zero tolerance for this type of rhetoric. Employers are not parsing intent; they are responding to signals of risk. 

FDNY Assistant Commissioner Dismissed After Controversial Training Video Surfaces

The FDNY removed a longtime assistant commissioner after a training video went viral showing minority students forced to transport cotton balls with their hands tied behind their backs. The footage drew immediate outrage, with critics pointing to a glaring lack of cultural awareness and oversight. (PIX 11)

For public institutions, one employee’s lapse in judgment can undermine credibility across the entire organization. Fama’s 2024 research found that 1 in 20 candidates displayed online warning signs, with harassment and intolerance among the most frequent flags.

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.

Digital footprints provide valuable  insight into someone's behavior. By reviewing behavioral patterns that are unlikely to surface during traditional hiring and screening processes, employers are able to uncover early warning signs of risks like unethical affairs with subordinates, or violent threats, or online harassment. This provides employers with critical context that helps proactively safeguard their employees, reputation, and business.

Employer Lessons: Preventing Misconduct with Social Media Screening

The events of September underscore one reality: online misconduct often becomes workplace misconduct. When employees mock patients, promote violence, or share offensive videos, it doesn’t stay personal. Employers are held responsible in the courts and in the court of public opinion. The response is immediate, reputations suffer, and trust disappears. What shows up on TikTok, Facebook, or Instagram can quickly become a reflection of your company’s culture.

That’s why proactive safeguards are critical. Social Media Screening gives HR and Talent Acquisition leaders a compliant, scalable way to identify warning signs before they lead to costly mistakes. By flagging risks like harassment, threats, or discriminatory content during the hiring process, organizations can avoid bringing on individuals whose behavior online points to potential problems at work.

But risk doesn’t stop on day one. Employee Screening and Rescreening allow employers to stay ahead of emerging issues throughout the employee lifecycle. People change, and new risks can surface long after hire whether through extremist content or rising online hostility. Ongoing screening helps organizations address these signals before they escalate into a full-blown crisis.

The lesson for employers is clear: prevention is more effective than reaction. By integrating social media screening into both pre-hire and post-hire practices, companies can better protect their culture, reduce risk, and avoid the reputational fallout that comes when misconduct goes unchecked online.

How Fama Helps

Misconduct is not random. It follows patterns that can be identified and addressed. Fama helps organizations detect these signals early by screening public online activity for risks tied to harassment, violence, fraud, and discrimination.

By taking a prevention-first approach, HR and TA leaders can safeguard their people, their brand, and their workplace culture.

See it in action. Request a demo to learn how Fama helps prevent tomorrow’s headlines.