Is This Sexual Harassment ?

[DwayneEMTP]

Yeah Asys, I'm with you completely. I was just curious where you drew the lines.

And you know what? It is friggin' creepy. It just seems like such a completely common sense thing that to see someone that can't get that causes me to question everything about them. I they can't get this simple, professional concept, then what other important things are they missing?

Plus, if you're looking at porn, (defined by me as explicit, hardcore sexual action) then I've gotta believe that you're also thinking of taking care of a little Bi'ness, and I REALLY don't want to have to sit and wonder if you're really poopin' when you're in the bathroom and if poopin' normally makes you need a little nap after. That's just TMI....Know what I mean?... :-)

Sensuality and sexuality are good, and healthy. I don't think that showing your partner a beautiful nude woman that you found on the net is the end of the world any more than I believe that it's wrong to point out a beautiful woman that you see while posting, but it's a fact that the majority of the world just isn't very good at drawing lines. My nude woman, or respectful appreciation of the hot chick walking down the street is the knuckle dragger's Mexico pony show...it seems that the differences should be obvious, but man, they just don't seem to be for many...

I doubt this guy was fired for sexual harassment, but fired he certainly should have been if there was any reason to believe that this was more than a one time thing..

Dwayne

[Chief1C]

People that are easily offended piss me off. I'll judge for myself, what was the site?

[Richard B the EMT]

String Hijack: Easily offended? When I was a child, I was always made the focus of jokes. Teachers were no help, as they always used that stupid poetry of "Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me".

Nowadays, we know that words can and do hurt. If enough times a child hears, even from parents, that (s)he is stupid, the child believes it themself.

String now returned to rightful owners.

[DFIB]

is the knuckle dragger's Mexico pony show...Dwayne

What you got against Mexico, Pale Face?

[hatelilpeepees]

(DELETED BY AK) and after talking to one of my male counterparts it is a pretty well visited spot as it does not require you to "join", it is free, and has no spam links that bite you when you click on it.

Did I just do a porn commercial ???It has every conceivable act covered, or at least the ones I know about.

AK--Its porn, we get it. We will not advertise it...thanks.

Edited November 22, 2011 by akflightmedic

[Just Plain Ruff]

Do a video search on video.google.com for any type of word that would be remotely pornographized and you will get links for this site.

My filtering software filters it out and won't let me go into the site but the links that it brings up will give you an idea of what it is.

[hatelilpeepees]

Not trying to be pissy, but just asking those that are saying you have to have it happen twice to be harassment, and that you need to establish a "pattern" before termination, do you not have any offenses in your policy and procedures for acts that are immediate terminations (after investigation).  

Even if this was not sexual harassment, the case could be made that he put the county into a potential HIPAA and Identity theft issue by surfing sites (I assume he surfed many, do not know that for a fact) that are known to be full of viruses that could contaminate the computer system.  I would not fire him for that on first offense, but I could see where this could easily become a huge issue.  

I do not think looking at porn makes him evil or incapable of patient care, if that were the case we would have to fire about 80% of the men in EMS and probably 50% of the women because any movie that shows a nude love scene is basically soft porn, unless he was looking at kiddy porn or something that is way over the top.

Dwayne I believe the best definition of porn is "I can't describe it, but I know it when I see it". Not sure he said it, but works for me.Sorry AK, did not mean to violate a rule, I apologize for posting that site's name.

Edited November 22, 2011 by hatelilpeepees

[paramedicmike]

Those words were made famous by US Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart in 1964. It is thought that he got the idea and phrasing from one of his law clerks Alan Novak.

You know... since it was mentioned.

[akflightmedic]

Not trying to be pissy, but just asking those that are saying you have to have it happen twice to be harassment, and that you need to establish a "pattern" before termination, do you not have any offenses in your policy and procedures for acts that are immediate terminations (after investigation).

Definition of harassment here: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harass Clearly states it is repeat behavior.

Regarding the patterns...this is called a Progressive Discipline Policy and if your service is without one, it opens the door for many claims as there is nothing in writing which classifies severity of events or what punishment is given. I could be late and get a behind the door "never do it again" speech and you could be late and get fired.

Yes there are immediate terminable offenses (Theft, fighting, weapons, drugs, intoxicated, etc). Whatever they are, they must be already in writing before people are just arbitrarily fired in response to knee jerk reactions. If this company had no policies established, then they are wrong in their actions. yes the guys are boneheads but that does not negate the facts.

Even if this was not sexual harassment, the case could be made that he put the county into a potential HIPAA and Identity theft issue by surfing sites (I assume he surfed many, do not know that for a fact) that are known to be full of viruses that could contaminate the computer system. I would not fire him for that on first offense, but I could see where this could easily become a huge issue.

Come again? Any website could do this, even SesameStreet dot com. Your argument is baseless, anything on the internet, even their email accounts could have viruses, cookies, trojans, you name it. If they are allowed to surf the net, then the service has opened themselves to this claim, not the porn surfers.

I do not think looking at porn makes him evil or incapable of patient care, if that were the case we would have to fire about 80% of the men in EMS and probably 50% of the women because any movie that shows a nude love scene is basically soft porn, unless he was looking at kiddy porn or something that is way over the top.

I agree.

Dwayne I believe the best definition of porn is "I can't describe it, but I know it when I see it". Not sure he said it, but works for me.Sorry AK, did not mean to violate a rule, I apologize for posting that site's name.

[hatelilpeepees]

So if I were asleep in the bunkroom AK, and you came in and ran your hands over parts of my body that are offlimits to everyone who works there, you should get a written warning and a chance to do it a second time ?????I agree with progressive discipline for the minor stuff, but there are some things that should get you fired the first time, like:Reporting to work drunk, stealing patient medications, violence, gross negilgence, or committing any crime while on duty. May I ask if you work in a union state versus a right-to-work state ?

Edited November 22, 2011 by hatelilpeepees