The woman who posted a photo of herself giving the middle finger to President Donald Trump’s motorcade to social media has been fired from her job, The Huffington Post reports.
As Trump returned from the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va., Sunday, Oct. 29, a woman later self-identified as Julie Briskman, made the rude gesture to the president’s motorcade twice as she was cycling on the same road.
According to the pool reporter on duty that day, “POTUS’s motorcade departed the Trump National Golf Club at 3.12pm, passing two pedestrians, one of whom gave a thumbs-down sign. Then it overtook a female cyclist, wearing a white top and cycling helmet, who responded by giving the middle finger.”
“The motorcade had to slow and the cyclist caught up, still offering the finger, before turning off in a different direction. Motorcade is now gathering speed and heading for DC.”
At the time, Briskman was working for Akima LLC, a Virginia-based company that holds several government contracts, doing marketing and communications work. As the photo went viral with users calling her a “heroine,” Briskman’s bosses called her into a meeting Tuesday and gave her the bad news.
“They said, ‘We’re separating from you,'” Briskman told The Huffington Post in an interview, describing the firing. “Basically, you cannot have ‘lewd’ or ‘obscene’ things in your social media. So they were calling flipping him off ‘obscene.'”
As a government contractor, Akima LLC was concerned that the photo might hurt their ability to win government contracts, The Huffington Post reports. Briskman has no regrets about her gesture, and is even a little pleased she had the chance to make a statement.
“In some ways, I’m doing better than ever,” Briskman said. “I’m angry about where our country is right now. I am appalled. This was an opportunity for me to say something.”
“He was passing by and my blood just started to boil,” Briskman said. “I’m thinking, DACA recipients are getting kicked out. He pulled ads for open enrollment in Obamacare. Only one-third of Puerto Rico has power. I’m thinking, he’s at the damn golf course again.”
#1: Hondo68 To: Gatlin, *Border Invasion* (#0)
She's probably been replaced by one of Trump's Somali Dream Student illegal aliens.
Hondo68 posted on 2017-11-06 18:35:01 Reply Private Reply
#2: paraclete To: Gatlin (#0)
paraclete posted on 2017-11-06 19:12:13 Reply Private Reply
#3: Gatlin To: paraclete (#2)
Not when a private-sector employer feels what a worker does reflects poorly on their employer.
In a case such as this, an employer in the private sector simply isn’t required to employ someone who exercises their right of free speech. Firing someone for their political ideas of gesture raises few to none legal issues.
It must be noted that no public-sector worker can be terminated for their political views. Also, many of the union contracts require that an employer demonstrate “just cause” for firing someone.
But is important to realize that federal law doesn’t offer any protections for expressing political views or participating in political activities for those who work in the private sector and don’t have a contract stating otherwise.
The woman was employed in the private sector and her employer had every right to fire her.
Good move, Akima LLC….she can now take that finger and stick it up her unemployed ass.
Gatlin posted on 2017-11-06 21:20:31 Reply Private Reply
#4: buckeroo To: Gatlin (#3)
BULLSHIT!
The employee signed an ethics + confidentiality + "at will" agreements, especially since the employer has government contracts. Sarge, you should go back to potatoe peelin' as a source of expertise. Give up your HR "on-line" job.
buckeroo posted on 2017-11-06 21:33:45 Reply Private Reply
#5: sneakypete To: Gatlin (#0)
NORMAL people learn this by the time they are teens.
sneakypete posted on 2017-11-07 00:35:25 Reply Private Reply
#6: misterwhite To: Gatlin (#0)
Did she think it was 'patriotic'? And how could she be sure that Trump didn't interpret the gesture as her frustration that he wasn't moving faster on deportations and building the wall?
misterwhite posted on 2017-11-08 11:29:37 Reply Private Reply
#7: misterwhite To: Gatlin (#3)
She'll do it happily, given that she "has no regrets about her gesture, and is even a little pleased she had the chance to make a statement".
We'll see.
misterwhite posted on 2017-11-08 11:32:21 Reply Private Reply