A Florida Bar Firing, a "DWTS" Suspension, and Workplace Misconduct in the News: October 2026

Not every post is a problem. But this month, four people learned their behavior on social media was a problem for their employers. In October, misconduct in the news involved a Florida Bar employee, a "Dancing With the Stars" pro, an Australian management consulting partner, and a Toronto healthcare professional. Each behaved poorly online, or in public settings that were later shared online. They quickly learned that making discriminatory and hateful comments, belittling others, and making violent references toward colleagues violate their employers' standards.

What Is Workplace Misconduct, and Why Talent Acquisition Should Care?

Workplace misconduct is behavior that violates an organization's policies, breaches professional standards, or breaks the law. You have policies to protect your people and your brand, and misconduct creates risk for both.

After over a decade of helping customers surface signs of misconduct and reduce risk, we've learned that every organization defines misconduct and risk differently. But one thing is consistent: workplace misconduct is showing up online. A post on a personal account can violate a code of conduct, confidentiality agreement, or social media policy. When it does, employers can face brand reputation, legal and compliance, and operational issues.

A pre-employment social media background check helps you see these risks before someone joins your team. And policy-based social media screening helps you surface the behaviors that matter most and violate your policies.

4 Examples of Workplace Misconduct in October 2026

Each of this month's examples of misconduct in the workplace started with a post, a message, or a video. Here is what happened, and which policy each case touched.

#1. Florida Bar Employee Fired Over Racist, Homophobic DMs to a Miami Football Player

The Florida Bar fired an IT employee who allegedly sent racist and homophobic messages to a University of Miami defensive lineman on Instagram. The messages came after Miami's 43-35 win over Florida State, and the lineman shared a screenshot publicly.

After an internal review, the Florida Bar placed the employee on administrative leave and later terminated his employment for violating its internal social media policy. The employee denied sending the messages but his employer said he did not show sufficient evidence of that. ESPN reported the scandal.

Key takeaways for employers: According to The Florida Bar, the discriminatory messages violated its internal policies. This is important, demonstrating how harassment and anti-discrimination policies apply wherever the conduct happens. It also shows how quickly comments on social media can become public.

#2. "Dancing With the Stars" Pro Suspended Over a Post About a DWTS Judge

BBC Studios, which produces "Dancing With the Stars," suspended a longtime pro dancer for one week after he posted a violent reference on TikTok about a DWTS judge who criticized his wife. The video referenced Will Smith's 2022 Oscars slap, and has since been deleted. The dancer apologized and later said he did not mean to suggest violence.

BBC Studios said the post was inappropriate and did not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected with the show. His celebrity dance partner danced with another pro instead.

Key takeaways for employers: Violent references toward a coworker can fall under workplace threat and professional conduct policies, even on social media. BBC Studios relied on its internal policies and brand guidelines to show how that behavior is not tolerated.

#3. McKinsey Partner Resigns From Nonprofit Board and Loses Research Role Over LinkedIn Comments

A Sydney-based senior partner at McKinsey & Co. was removed from his leadership role and resigned as a director of microfinance nonprofit Opportunity International Australia after his LinkedIn comments drew backlash.

In the posts, he questioned the challenges female executives face in the workplace, drawing backlash online. Bloomberg reported the widening fallout from his posts.

Key takeaways for employers: Public commentary on a professional platform can lead to professional consequences. This isn't an isolated incident of misconduct on professional platforms, either. Fama's 2025 State of Misconduct at Work reported a ~200% YoY increase in misconduct on LinkedIn. Both organizations took action after the comments drew public criticism.

#4. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Staff Member No Longer Employed After Viral Transit Video

Toronto's Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre said a staff member is no longer employed after it investigated a video circulating online. The video appears to show a person in hospital-attire allegedly using racist language toward a transit passenger.

In a statement on X, Sunnybrook said the behavior was inconsistent with its values and policies. It acknowledged the harm, especially for its Black colleagues, patients, and physicians. CP24 reported on the situation.

Key takeaways for employers: Your people represent your brand whether they are in your office or not. The person was off duty, but in work attire, making it easy to connect the employee back to their employer. For a healthcare employer, the stakes include patient trust as well as brand.

Fama Findings: Influencers Driving Under the Influence

A recent Fama report surfaced social media posts from a content creator who discussed getting high before driving in a TikTok video. Not only is driving under the influence illegal, but talking about it also sets a bad example for their followers. As brands look to creators to represent them and build trust with new audiences, partnering with creators who represent your brand well is important. This is especially true when nearly half of all influencers show signs of misconduct online, according to Fama data.

Screen for What Matters to You with Policy-Based Social Media Screening

Social media screening is a great tool to surface online misconduct before it creates risk for your organization. Policy-based social media screening makes it easy to cut through the noise and see the behaviors you care about most.

Fama's new policy-based social media screening ditches the generic flags and keywords, screening against your specific internal policies and brand guidelines. Any findings tie back to the policy clause it violates, and your team spends minutes reviewing reports, not hours.

Fewer Surprises, Less Noise

October's cases span across industries, from professional services to entertainment to healthcare, demonstrating how widespread misconduct is. In each, a post or video met a standard the employer had already set, and the response followed that standard. The goal of screening isn't to predict the next headline. It's fewer surprises, less noise, and decisions that are easy to defend.

Learn more about Fama's new policy-based screening, request a demo.

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