

Note to self: Do not Google "blond" on work laptop - Jun8
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/05/view-porn-be-fired/

======
Jun8
" First, Zellner disengaged the “safe search” filter. He then typed “blonde”
into the Google search box. The search produced 20 “thumbnail” images, all of
them pornographic, with links to more images within and outside the Google
website. He then clicked to display the next 20 images. Zellner then clicked a
link entitled “more of these” adjacent to images from
www.ardentes.free.frblonde.com. When Zellner did so, another 20 pornographic
“thumbnail” images were displayed on his monitor for a total of 17 seconds.
Zellner did not click on any of the photographs displayed in his search. The
entire incident took 67 seconds.

The appeals court said that 67 seconds was all that was necessary to be fired.
It was unrelated to him being a vocal opponent of the district and making
comments in the local press, the court said."

------
bhousel
"was in retaliation for his constitutionally protected criticism of his
employer."

Is there any question why this guy was really fired? I will never understand
why people seem to think they can criticize their employers and then sue after
they're fired for doing so.

People, you can get fired from a job for _almost_ any reason at all. You are
not entitled to a job. Sure, badmouthing your employer is "free speech", but
they are also free to fire you for doing the badmouthing.

In this case they used his browsing history as justification for the firing,
but if not that, it would have been for something else sooner or later. He
simply had it coming.

~~~
phamilton
Agree with the logic, but unions skew things too much for mere logic to play
out in workers minds.

------
ryandvm
So... it turns out that _if_ you are not a valued employee (by your employer)
and _if_ you browse porn thumbnails at work, you can get fired. Huh - who
knew?

------
micmcg
The title is misleading, he clearly did a lot more than google "blonde". Turn
safe search off, go to second page of results, click "more of these". There
was nothing innocent about his actions, he was looking at porn at work. What
did he expect?

