Several Americans have lost their jobs over social media posts in the days since former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt.
The Republican presidential candidate was quickly ushered off the stage by Secret Service agents after a gunman, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, opened fire from a nearby rooftop as Trump was speaking at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. A bullet grazed Trump’s right ear, and one rally-goer was killed and two others critically injured before Crooks was shot and killed by Secret Service agents.
Trump made a triumphant appearance on the opening night of the Republican National Convention on Monday with a bandage covering his ear.
In the days since former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt, several Americans have lost their jobs after posting information about the shooting on social media. In the days since former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt, several Americans have lost their jobs after posting information about the shooting on social media. Photo illustration by Newsweek/Getty
In an address to the nation on Sunday, President Joe Biden urged Americans to reject political violence.
“We are all facing a testing moment as the election approaches,” he said. “There is no place in America for this kind of violence, any kind of violence. Ever. Period. No exceptions. We cannot allow this violence to become normalized.”
But in the wake of the shooting, several people across the country have faced repercussions after sharing social media posts that appeared to express disappointment over the failure of Trump’s assassination attempt. A Trump spokesperson has been reached for comment via email.
In South Dakota, the Sioux Falls School District fired Cassandra Oleson for a post she made on her personal Facebook page shortly after the shooting.
“Shoot. If only I had my sights set correctly,” Oleson, a behavior facilitator at Ben Reifel Middle School, wrote on the page under the name Cassie Martin, according to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader.
A district spokesperson confirmed to Newsweek that Oleson has been fired.
The district’s code of conduct “clearly outlines the high standards we apply to all staff, given the public trust in our responsibility to educate the children of our community and serve as positive role models,” the district said in a statement provided by spokeswoman Tory Stolen. “The staff member’s statement does not align with the school district’s values and was not tolerated in any way.”
Oleson’s Facebook page is no longer active and she could not immediately be reached for comment.
In Texas, RaceOn, a car racing broadcasting company, fired Phil Whipple for comments he posted on Facebook.
“We are aware of the post made by Phil Whipple,” RaceOn posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday. “These statements reflect Phil’s opinion, and not that of RaceOn, our racing community, sponsors, or partners. Phil’s relationship with RaceOn has ended.”
According to screenshots circulating on social media, Whipple posted on Facebook that “the next shooter won’t miss.”
“On September 1st, that man will be DEAD. And half of us in this great nation who understand the threat he poses to DEMOCRACY will stand up and applaud.”
Whipple’s Facebook page is no longer active, but in another post, he said his page had been hacked. Newsweek has attempted to contact Whipple through messages on other social media accounts.
Christine DeShazo, a pharmacy worker in Texas, was fired for posts expressing disappointment over the failed assassination attempt.
DeShazo wrote “damn you failed” on Facebook, according to a post shared on X by the popular Libs of TikTok account that sparked outrage and calls for her firing.
DeShazo’s employer, Guardian Pharmacy in Arlington, Texas, told DailyMail.com that she had been fired. “Her personal opinions do not reflect the beliefs of our company,” the pharmacy said.
The pharmacy has been contacted for further comment via its website.
Social media campaigns seeking to have ordinary Americans fired “for expressing political opinions or making jokes are illiberal and contribute to a climate of fear and self-censorship,” Aaron Terr, director of public advocacy at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, told Newsweek.
“Every time companies cave to these demands, they encourage more of the same,” Terr said. “And when the employer is the government, firings raise serious First Amendment concerns. To escape the cycle of cancel culture, Americans must embrace dialogue and criticism as alternatives to imposing devastating consequences on people’s lives for their opinions.”
First Amendment protections do not apply in most cases, since the companies firing individuals are not state actors funded by the government, Nancy Costello, a professor at Michigan State University College of Law and director of the school’s First Amendment Law Clinic, told Newsweek. “First Amendment protections for free speech apply when the government penalizes someone for their speech, for expressing a particular viewpoint,” Costello said.
Free speech rights “technically” apply in Oleson’s case, but the employment contract he signed with the school district is a factor, he said.
“If, under the contract, the teacher is required to abide by a code of conduct set by the school district because she is a role model for students, etc., then the school district can fire her because she failed to abide by the contract,” Costello said. “By signing the contract, the teacher is agreeing that some of her free speech rights may be restricted due to the nature of the job.”
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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