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   Should Lindsey Stone's employer be blamed for  Facebook photo of her 

       disrespecting Arlington Cemetery Tomb of Unknown Soldiers

Lindsey Stone’s photograph on her Facebook page disrespecting the solemn military burial ground of Arlington National Cemetery sent shockwaves across the nation. Unfortunately her former employer, Living Independently Forever, Inc. (LIFE), was caught in the Facebook photograph crossfire. It appears that a lot of the anger that was generated by outraged Americans was also laid at the doorstep of the organization.

This does raise several crucial questions that many employers and employees have to come to terms with. How responsible or even liable are employers for bad conduct that their employees engage in outside of the office? Is it fair to hold any organization, morally liable if an employee like Lindsey Stone decides to engage in outlandish disrespectful and dishonorable actions?

Should an organization like LIFE, or any other employer initiate an employment policy that includes forbidding employees from engaging in conduct that embarrasses their employer? Would that employment policy also include, posting of photographs on Facebook that may harm the organization’s ability to conduct its business or delivery of services.

Certainly, many Americans feel it is unreasonable to assign any liability for the immature 30-year-old Lindsey Stone’s conduct at Arlington Cemetery to LIFE. This notable non-profit organization has a solid reputation for proving quality services for adults with disabilities in Cape Cod, Mass. In fact, the organization responded to the disturbing behavior by stating in part:

Living Independently Forever, Inc. (LIFE) Statement

“This photograph in no way reflects the opinions or values of the LIFE organization, which holds our nation’s veterans in the highest regard. We are proud to have veterans serving on our staff and board of trustees, and we value their service. The men and women who have selflessly fought and sacrificed their lives to protect the rights and lives of Americans deserve our utmost respect and gratitude. We are acutely aware that this photo has done a disservice to veterans and we are deeply saddened that it was taken and shared in a public medium.”

The organization’s deep sincere regret expressed by the former employer of Lindsey Stone and her co-worker Jamie Schuh, demonstrates clearly that every employer in America needs to have a chat with their employees and examine their employee policies. Unruly conduct on and off the premises of an organization, business or employment location, does have consequences.

Employees may claim that they have 1st Amendment “Freedom of Speech" rights under the U.S. Constitution. However those constitutional rights do not extend entirely to certain types of postings on an employee’s private Facebook page. ( Click to read more )

   Lindsey Stone  Facebook photo of her  Disrespecting Arlington Cemetery

                                        Tomb of Unknown Soldiers

When your son or daughter or other loved one goes off to war, there is pride in your heart as well as tears in your spirit. If they are called on to pay the ultimate price and are laid to rest in a place of honor like Arlington National Cemetery or local military cemeteries you understand in your soul that a grateful nation and its families appreciate their sacrifice as well as their noble service.

But what about those disrespectful Americans that engage in actions to attack the honored silence and solitude of the military resting place. What if instead , they decide to give the dead soldiers the finger or brazenly shout absurdities at those gathered to grieve at their loved one’s gravesite?

Lindsey Stone is such an American, who by birth can claim citizenship, but who by conduct certainly walks the line of needing to be stripped of it.

She decided in October to go to Arlington National Cemetery, to according to published accounts, engage in behavior that was prankish. But what exactly is prank behavior when a person not only engages in this behavior to disrespect the soldiers and their families? She then to add insult to injury, had an accomplice take a photo of her conduct and posted the photo to her Facebook page a as badge of honor.

The photo which went viral across the nation shows Ms. Stone using an obscene gesture. In addition, Next to her was a sign at Arlington Cemetery which clearly displays, "Silence and respect." Yet in the photo, Stone is depicted yelling. What was her purpose and what was she thinking?

Does this trouble you? Was Stone’s behavior juvenile for a 30-year-old woman, who seemed to seek social media approval by posting this shameful act on her Facebook page? Was it her First Amendment right to break the solemn rules of a hallowed place of dignity, because respect, discipline and decency are diminished institutional beliefs?

Lindsey Stone’s, now former employer Living Independently Forever (LIFE) initially placed her on suspension along with Jamie Schuh who joined her in the incident, according to Fox News. On Wednesday, Fox News reported that both Stone and Schuh were fired.

So where is the line in America? How far can a person be allowed to go to disrespect or infringe upon another citizen’s rights to grieve in peace? What about the right of the nation to insure that their honored war dead in any military cemetery in any state will not be dishonored?

( Click to read more )