I Was Fired Today, For My Bumperstickers!!!

Originally posted by hotbakedtater
Because of what I personally feel was possible discrimination for perceived sexual orientation, I came in contact with a WONDERFUL local organization, where I will now be building a positive resume for the future by volunteering...

My story, which will probably generate as much great and needed debate is going to be featured in our local media. It is sure to raise awareness and hot debate, which is ALWAYS good.

Debate over what?

Your story seems to have changed between the time you posted your story here on ATS, and the time that an article was published about you in the LEO.

First you say it was because of your bumper stickers. Now you are claiming you were fired because your sister is gay. Which is it? Why did your story change?

Could it possibly be that because you couldn't gain traction with your first story, so you changed it in order to futher malign your former employer and attempt to gain the sympathy you couldn't find with the first story?

[edit on 24-5-2008 by SaviorComplex]

[edit on 24-5-2008 by SaviorComplex]

There is this one girl where i work, piercings on the lip, brow and nose. Says people like here help fight discrimination because if you allow them to be employed you have to allow every one else as in races, etc etc...but then she complains she is given evil looks from every one? Some people dont get it. its one thing to be black or asian, or to have a hijab, but piercings, tattoos, vivid hair colors still IMO sit at the top at the number #1 reason for people to hate another.

Originally posted by SaviorComplex

Debate over what?

Your story seems to have changed between the time you posted your story here on ATS, and the time that an article was published about you in the LEO.

Thanks for pointing this out. I found this article last Wednesday evening and was going to put a link in here, but decided that I would give hotbakedtater an oportunity to do it since she said she would keep us updated. I was going to put the link in here today, since she had not done so yet, keeping her promise.

It's interesting to see how the story did change, and also to note that in the article the daycare owner was also interviewed.

There are always 2 sides to every story.

A couple of things came to mind when I read it. First of all hotbakedtater said the car was in the employee lot, and that customers would not see it, yet a daycare worker who saw the sticker and took offense to it because the word pedophile was on it, was also a customer since she has a child attending the center.

Also, hotbakedtater said she was fired after one day, yet the daycare owner indicated she worked a day and a half, and will be paid for that time, not just a day. What is also interesting is that a 2 day trial period is a normal proceedure for new hires at the center so it was a possibility that hotbakedtater would not have been retained even without the bumper sticker incident.

Also hotbakedtater said an employee who was outside smoking a cigarette saw the stickers, but the article says the one that took offense noticed it when she was taking out the trash.

So even if her sister is gay, which who knows how the daycare center would have even known, is just another excuse by hotbakedtater for being let go, in my opinion.





[edit on 25-5-2008 by Enthralled Fan]

reply to post by Enthralled Fan

i don't care how or why she was fired , i just want to know what kind of hillbilly daycare center let's anyone smoke cigarettes on the premises ? if it's true then that place should be shut down immediately .

Originally posted by Enthralled Fan
Also, hotbakedtater said she was fired after one day, yet the daycare owner indicated she worked a day and a half, and will be paid for that time, not just a day...

Also note that this isn't the only job that she has lost recently. From the article...

Since moving here, she has been fired from a dry cleaner for working too slowly and from a charitable telemarketer for low numbers.

reply to post by ironman433


I agree with you on this one. Nobody who works at a daycare center should be a smoker, and that question should be asked when they are being inteviewed for the job.

hotbakedtater said somebody saw the sticker while out smoking, yet the daycare owner said the sticker was spotted while an employee was taking out the trash.

Who's telling the truth, here?

It could very well be the owner said while taking out the trash to avoid people complaining about smokers being employed there.

Originally posted by Enthralled Fan
hotbakedtater said somebody saw the sticker while out smoking, yet the daycare owner said the sticker was spotted while an employee was taking out the trash.

Who's telling the truth, here?

Perhaps they both are. Perhaps the employee in question was having a cigarette while they took out the trash. But it's irrelevant to the topic.

reply to post by SaviorComplex


Yes, I noticed that as well. Without going back through all the posts, I seem to recall hotbakedtater saying that she was a stay at home Mom until getting the job at the daycare center, and that they were the only ones that would hire her, having no experience. How convenient she left out the other scenarios where she was let go, for various reasons.

I think you nailed it when you said this was a sympathy stunt.

My story has not changed. The owner clearly has no idea what is going on in her daycare because she canned me herself after half a day. The trash is taken out back, where employees park/smoke. The girl who trained me is NOT the girl referenced in the article. I was paid for half a day and they shorted me an hour at that, because I was not allowed to clock out. I have been busy working, (yeah!! job) but thank for posting the update for me, I appreciate it.

Her words in the article confirm what happened to me, she clearly says she did not want people "like that" at her daycare. Like what? Who have a bumperstickers? The owner knew it was car because they day she interviewed me she asked if that was my car.

Well, I cannot really say anything else about it, it is over and I am moving on.

Originally posted by hotbakedtater

I dont have much work experience in the "real' world, I stayed home with my sons until they were grown, for about 15 or so years. I think I am really naive when it comes to this "real" job stuff, since my former work office was my own home. Every job I get canned from I learn something new and valuable though.

It sucks but it is my fault for not getting a marketable skill when I was younger, and instead just stayed home being a housewife, and mom, which no one in the real world considers a skill except daycares!!

Strange how this gives me the impression you were a stay at home Mom until getting the job at the daycare center, leaving out the other recent firings from other jobs mentioned in the article. I don't think you are as naive as you claim to be. One was a dry cleaner, and the other a marketing company. While those jobs did not last, they were not daycare centers, and you were hired by them.

As I said, I did not put the link the the article in here because I wanted to give you the opportunty to do so yourself, since you said you would keep us updated. I have looked under your profile and have seen you have been here nearly every day since I found the article. I see where you have replied to threads as recently as last night, with no update to your own thread.

While I don't get the impression from the legal interviews that you have a clear cut case in regards to the sticker issue, if you were only paid for a half a day as you claim, yet the daycare owner said you worked a day and a half and that she was going to pay you for that, then you might have some recourse in that regard. She is on record saying she was going to pay you for the day and a half.

Good luck to you.

reply to post by hotbakedtater


Your stories don't match your replies. Your responses aren't clearly responding to the responses of members. You are seeing what you want to see and responding to it. And as for court for your pay, a Conservative judge will most likely not pay in your favor.

reply to post by hotbakedtater


Ever bother trying to spend more time on learning job skills and less time putting retarded bumper stickers on your car?

Honestly,after reading that article, it seems you don't have very many marketable job skills, and blame everything and everyone but yourself for your failures in terms of employment.



[edit on 26-5-2008 by slackerwire]

[edit on 26-5-2008 by slackerwire]

reply to post by hotbakedtater


hotbakedtater is really a great sport and a great poster. I've read this thread, bashed here, got a little heated, and watched as the TS has been very mature and open to how others feel. she has taken advised, adapted it and has shown good ingenuity by bringing this issue up in her new job.

I'm really happy to hear that you did that. There are not many people like oyu around. Congrats on the new job and I hope all the best for you in the future.

I think you deserve it.

Originally posted by hotbakedtater
Her words in the article confirm what happened to me, she clearly says she did not want people "like that" at her daycare. Like what? Who have a bumperstickers? The owner knew it was car because they day she interviewed me she asked if that was my car.

Well, I cannot really say anything else about it, it is over and I am moving on.

Several questions remain, Ms. Tater.

First, why did you not bring up the supposed homophobia when you first posted here on ATS?

Second, it still is not clear how they found out your sister is gay. Under what circumstances did you offer such personal and sensitive information?

Third, if your sister is gay, why did you place a bumpersticker on your car that uses "gay" as a pejorative?

Fourth, if it is over and you are moving on, why does LEO even mention a potential lawsuit?

Originally posted by SaviorComplex
Your story seems to have changed between the time you posted your story here on ATS, and the time that an article was published about you in the LEO.

You seem to have not read the article, the article clearly draws reference to the bumper stickers and the subject matter of those stickers, namely the use of the word 'pedofiles' and the other one which appears to support the freedom to be gay and proud, aswell as an apparent support of abortion.

The employer "Davis" says (in so many words) in the article that the reason for the dismissal was that the employee believes in the views expressed by the bumper stickers or associates with people who have those beliefs.

Why are you giving the OP such a hard time anyway? Every post I have so far read by you in this thread has been attacking the OP.

Originally posted by SaviorComplex
First, why did you not bring up the supposed homophobia

Second, it still is not clear how they found out your sister is gay.

Third, if your sister is gay, why bumpersticker that uses "gay" as a pejorative?

Fourth, if it is over and you are moving on, LEO mention a lawsuit?

(Snipped & edited down to a 4 line quote)

Allow me to answer those qu's because the answers seem so obvious to me.

1. The bumper stickers bring up the subject of "gay" the day care centre had an issue with the bumper stickers and those persons who would have such bumper stickers or associate with those who have such stickers.

2. They assumed the car might have belonged to her sister and they assumed from the stickers that either she or her sister were gay. And they had an issue with whomever would have stickers like those.

3. The one sticker appears to support being gay and proud, the other sticker merely makes a point that a particular political party has had a lot of press concerning high ranking members being gay. The sticker is not expressing the "gay" as a negative or a positive. Plus the word had to be used to allow the acronym to work. and above all (the part you seem to be missing the most) it was a joke.

4. The LEO article reads to me like the journalist asked for some legal opinions on the subject before going to print, to pad the story out a bit and make it more interesting for the reader.

HTH

[edit on 27/5/2008 by Wig]

It is very important to understand that free speech does not mean that you have the right to possibly run off potential customers from someones business.

Free Speech is a wonderful concept, and I support it wholeheartedly. However, I have the distinct feeling that you would be unwilling to allow a teacher the 'free speech' to preach Christianity from a class room. Isn't that a double standard?

You have actuallyl exerciesed your right to free speech. The cops did not fly in and throw you in jail for your bumper sticker. You lost your job. Unfortunately, with free speech comes responsibility. In this case, your freedom of speech had consequences, as well.

Never confuse the freedom of speech with the freedom from social consequence. Freedom of speech simply assures you that the Government will not retaliate against you (such as they have with Christians....too bad freedom of speech doesn't spread itself equally among all.)

Does a employer not have the right to freedom of speech Take those stupid bumper stickers off your car if you want to work at a day care center. This is just another example of you offended me and I offend you poo that is taking over the world. STAND TALL! Take defeat and move on with your life. I can see why so many boyfriends and girlfriends are killing their lovers now days. They don't understand defeat or live to fight another day. Your bumper stickers are trash to a day care center and I'm glad you are not working at one with those stickers on your car.

I wanted to edit this post just to say that if you want people to do what you want to do without caring about bumper stickers then create your own day care center with people who will agree with you and leave their kids at your business.

[edit on 5/28/2008 by Solarskye]

Originally posted by hotbakedtater
Only in America.

You say "Only in America" as if that's a bad thing. I think it's a great thing that in America private business owners have the right to employ who they want, and who fits the position they need to fill.

You have a freedom to express yourself any way you want. And the daycare owner has the freedom to exercise discretion in who they pay to work for them.

Many people mistakenly think freedom of speech means freedom from the consequences of their speech. Welcome to the real world.

And by the way, I'm guessing the whole pedophile thing at a daycare was the reason as opposed to the GOP aspect of it.