The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has been embroiled in controversy following its decision to terminate an employee over Facebook posts deemed to contain racist tropes. The court has upheld the ACLU's decision, stating that the firing was permissible. This case has sparked debate among labor and free-speech lawyers due to the ACLU's historic stance on protecting free expression. Critics argue that the ACLU is abandoning its free speech roots, as evidenced by its defense strategy, which advocates for an expansive definition of racist or racially coded speech. The situation is further complicated by reports that the fired employee, described as Asian, had previously accused her bosses of harassment. The bosses, who are black, were the subjects of her complaints, leading to her dismissal on grounds of racism. This incident has raised questions about the ACLU's approach to hate speech and its implications for workplace dynamics.
"The A.C.L.U. Said a Worker Used Racist Tropes and Fired Her. But Did She?" (via @nytimes) https://t.co/C2zpRQsKan
Gift article about the ACLU -- about how an Asian employee often accused her bosses of harassment, only to then get fired for racism since her bosses she complained about were black, and now ACLU is arguing for an expanded definition of "hate speech": https://t.co/YSKmM8myUk
ACLU Targets a Whistleblower, Accused of Rejecting Its Free Speech Roots https://t.co/e3RSqpPedA
The A.C.L.U. Said a Worker Used Racist Tropes and Fired Her. But Did She? https://t.co/juZ3Tu1wCB
Women fired from ACLU (!) partly for using racist words that were totally not racist! According to the Times, the ACLU contends her language was harmful to black colleagues, even if her words were not explicitly racist. It’s bad if it feels bad to someone! https://t.co/14Xtwgnjqj
“The heart of the A.C.L.U.’s defense .. an expansive definition of what constitutes racist or racially coded speech — has struck some labor & free-speech lawyers as peculiar, since the organization has traditionally protected the right to free expression” https://t.co/ijdJFJJ9ay
"The heart of the A.C.L.U.’s defense — arguing for an expansive definition of what constitutes racist or racially coded speech — has struck some labor and free-speech lawyers as peculiar, since the organization has traditionally protected the right to free expression, operating…
The ACLU has jumped the shark https://t.co/2bYoA2Mk3x
Firing White Woman for Facebook Posts Is OK, Court Says https://t.co/pFbM61Itrd