No joke.
Arkansas State University fired the director of the funeral science program at its Mountain Home campus over a Facebook posting that he claims was a joke.The former employee, Toby J. Sutton, who was earning $41,000 for a school year, wrote on the social network site in June that he "hopes this teaching gig works out. Guess I shouldn't have cheated through mortuary school and faked people out. Crap!"
He started in August and was fired on Nov. 3.
He recently sued ASU, claiming the real reason he was fired was because he questioned the whereabouts of some student fees that should have gone for the funeral science program, according to a lawsuit he filed in U.S. District Court in Jonesboro.
"This information was necessary to prove compliance with standards," the lawsuit said. ASU "could not supply this information."
Sutton also said that he wasn't given a hearing prior to his firing and didn't have an opportunity to present his side.
"He really was blindsided," said his attorney, Donn Mixon of Jonesboro.
Sutton is seeking his former job back and an unspecified amount of damages.
ASU said it doesn't comment on pending litigation.
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| Publication: | Arkansas Business |
|---|---|
| Date: | May 2, 2011 |
| Words: | 195 |
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