Recent protests in the streets have spurred responses on the web, with more and more social media participants weighing in with their views. As more of our social experiences and commentaries move onto the internet, consequences follow — even for the most anodyne opinions.
A Vermont school board voted recently to place one of its principals, Tiffany Riley, on paid administrative leave while the two parties negotiate her severance package, according to reporting by the Valley News. Riley is being fired for a post she made on Facebook saying, in part, “While I understand the urgency to feel compelled to advocate for black lives, what about our fellow law enforcement?” She also added, “Just because I don’t walk around with a BLM sign should not mean I’m a racist.”
Superintendent David Baker said that board members “don’t see any way that she’s going to go forward as the principal of that building given those comments and that statement.”
The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago has terminated its contract with University of Chicago economist Harald Uhlig, who worked as a scholar for the bank, following a series of tweets criticizing Black Lives Matter. Among them was one saying, “Too bad, but #blacklivesmatter per its core organization @Blklivesmatter just torpedoed itself, with its full-fledged support of #defundthepolice.”
A spokeswoman for the bank told the Wall Street Journal that the move “reflects our determination that his views are not compatible with the Chicago Fed’s values and our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.”
About a month ago, Grant Napear resigned from his position as play-by-play announcer for the Sacramento Kings following a tweet he wrote that said, in part, “ALL LIVES MATTER…EVERY SINGLE ONE!!!” Aside from that, Napear will no longer host The Grant Napear Show on KHTK Sports 1140 after the station’s owner decided to “part ways” with him.
In a social media age, publish your opinions, but know that if they are outside a very narrow band of permissible dissent, there will be consequences.
