On Friday, Australian journalist Clementine Ford got one of the thousands of online insults she regularly receives when she pens pro-women thoughts: in this one, Sydney hotel supervisor Michael Nolan called her a sl*t.
Ford grabbed screenshots of his posts.
Then, she pondered – publicly – whether Nolan’s employer was aware of his online behavior, tagging the company to ensure that if it wasn’t already, it would be soon.
He was “removed” from the site of his employer – Meriton Group – on Saturday, the hotel informed Ford.
As of Monday, he was fired.
In short order, a certain online demographic started blaming Ford for ruining a man’s career.
Her response: oh, boo hoo.
From Ford’s Facebook post:
To anyone who suggests I have caused a man to lose his job, I’d like to say this: No. He is responsible for his actions. He is responsible for the things he writes and the attitudes he holds. It is not my responsibility to hold his hand and coddle him when he behaves in an abusive manner just because it might have consequences for him. Women are often told to stay silent about harassment because it’s not fair to ‘ruin a man’s career’. Why is their behaviour our responsibility? Enough. If you enjoy exercising misogyny online, you only have yourself to blame if the people with power over your life – your bosses, friends, family etc – decide that they don’t want to be associated with you anymore. The targets of your abuse are in no way, shape or form responsible for making sure your actions have no recriminations for you.
It’s not like Nolan didn’t know what he was getting into.
Ford is a vocal feminist who speaks out about “men’s violence against women; exclusion of marginalised groups including disabled people, trans and gender queer people, people of color and women; reproductive rights; sexism; movies I like,” as she says.
For his part, Nolan, 22, apparently doesn’t regret his posts, losing his job or being publicly humiliated.
According to the Daily Mail, this is what he posted on his Facebook page after he lost his job:
I don’t give a damn.
This isn’t the first online tormentor Ford’s named and shamed.
According to the Daily Mail, Ford got a message in June from a man who threatened to “rape and bash” her after she posted a topless photograph of herself to protest revenge porn.
Ford called out Ryan Hawkins, from Victor Harbour in South Australia, after he sent the threat via Facebook.
He’s since apologized.
As Ford told the Daily Mail in an interview, most of the harassment she gets comes from young boys, typically 14 or 15 years old.
She has no problem holding abusers responsible for their words, but she chooses not to name and shame children, Ford says.
Image courtesy of Clementine Ford/Facebook.com
Dan
This should prevent him from getting another job within the journalism sector of the world at all media agencies in any capacity. I am shocked she doesn’t file a sexual harassment law suit against him, because I sure would if I was her.
Kyle
it wouldn’t get anywhere, but i do agree that she should probably try just to make a point. online or off line harassment is just that.
The Sum of Her Parts
^ As an hotel worker he’s unlikely to get a job in journalism anyway.
Dan
I didn’t have my first cup of coffee down when I read this, and the way it was written was rather confusing to begin with.
Greenaum
She did cause a man to lose his job! And that was exactly what she intended to do, why else nark on a guy to his employer? It’s not about her failing to “hold his hand”, she didn’t like something he said, and rather than arguing back, she threatened his job. Real honourable.
And then argues back with the sort of pretzel logic that gives uninformed, have-it-both-ways “feminists” a bad name. Germaine Greer’s a respectable feminist. This woman’s just a stroppy bitch. And I’m saying that as one of the queer disabled people she’s so generous as to allow into her personal army.
HER behaviour is her responsibility! She had a man fired! That’s really, really, a low blow. Even if it was a shitty job, and the employer presumably did it to avoid a load of batshit Facebook posts and deluded self-proclaimed “feminists” posting fake reviews on Yelp.
She wanted to get him in trouble with his company. That’s exactly what she did. Why is that not her responsibility?
If she was some anonymous ordinary woman, she would have an expectation of privacy and reasonable freedom from criticism by strangers. But she’s a journalist. Her opinion sells for money. People are allowed to criticise the press. Calling her a slut isn’t particularly mature, but then we’re not all blessed with eloquence.
This is a terrible human being. Feminism needs to sort itself out. There’s a lot of idiots claiming it’s name. Just because you’re a woman, doesn’t mean every one of your problems is a feminist issue, and doesn’t mean everyone who disagrees with you hates all women. It could just be you.
Edward
He’s the one who said it, he put his job at jeopardy. You don’t want to get fired for homophobic, sexist, or racist remarks? Don’t make them publicly. His speech was utterly free but free speech, has consequences. Why should she be responsible for protecting him from the consequences of his speech? All she did was help his employer to realize what sort of person they had hired. What he was publicly saying in a way that he had publicly linked to them by posting his place of employment. More women should follow her example.
Tom Foolery
You seem to have missed the part where he called her a sl*t… If he had used rational, civil discourse, she would not have had any reason to report him. You are wrong :)
John Hawk
As a man, I say “Good for her”,; this sort of slime ball needs sorting out.
John Hawk
Hah, that’s really amusing, suggesting a woman argues with a slimeball troll over what he says! Are you so out of touch with reality as to think he would have then joined in a reasoned discussion, with the possibility of admitting that she was right at the end of it?
Maude Findlay
You are incorrect. Calling her a “sl*t” isn’t criticism or disagreement.
Criticism implies that there is a valid point to be made about the work or the artist.
“I believe your piece was wrong as it failed to consider X”, is criticism. It isn’t “disagreeing”, either.
Calling someone a “sl*t” is dismissive and insulting. It is degrading and is in no way meant to help or start a dialogue or be civil. It was meant to degrade and shame the woman publicly and sexually. He didn’t call her an idiot or a moron. He called her a name associated with prostitution.
She isn’t a punching bag because she’s in the public eye. There is no “right” to degrade and debase people because you disagree with them.
If she’d have been a different race, and he’d called her a racist name, same thing.
Art Zamora
The line between person and employer is blurred. Our individual rights are now in line with a corporation in the US. We have the right to do or say stupid things on our own time. Although that has changed – we are now slaves. That shift is getting out of control. Sadly C. ford made her actions personal.
Mahhn
she spoke her mind, he spoke his mind, the employer spoke their mind, the people speak their mind, and I will speak mine – pffft, there are far more important things to deal with, like governments preventing people protesting about being controlled lol.
Anonymous
This is an a joke, This women has ruined a mans life, because he called her a slut, yet, she sends a photo of her topless with sunrise “Get F$%k” she is no better then him.
I want to complain about this women to her employer for rude & aggressive post to Sunrise, that she has posted on facebook, her language is a disgrace, she should be sacked too.
males have the same rights as women too you know
this women needs to be sacked from her job, How do we complain to her employer for sexist comments against men, Posting ” get F$%Ked” to the sunrise facebook page, just shows what type of women she is. She is no different to him
Bryan
Do we know (and did she) that he made the offensive post from work? The catch-22 in free speech is that we must occasionally suffer idiots and bigots to speak their minds
If he based his attack from his office his employer has a reasonable expectation and right to know what he’s doing on their network and on their clock
An idiotic post made from one’s living room has little to do with one’s employer, and subsequent retribution more easily reaches ‘overzealous’
Steve
And all of this has what, exactly, to do with information security or anything else near that topic?
Lisa Vaas is constantly churning out stuff like this, often touching somewhat – however lightly – on the topics of security or privacy, but sometimes completely missing the mark. I can read this crap elsewhere… this is not what I expect from Naked Security, and not what I get from the other contributors.
Mike
This is why to leave your employer off your social media accounts.
If you’re posting as an employee then you’re bringing your employer into it. Poltics, hate, religion or drunken selfie; if you post something unpopular with their name attached and your employer cans you for it you have nobody else to blame.
Bryan
Oh absolutely. However I hear more and more stories of employers requiring access to social accounts even as early as the job interview. I’ve not experienced that but have been in tight financial spots where I’d begrudgingly admit to myself getting a job won’t prevent me from continuing the search while I catch up on bills–and that access to my Spacebook is irritating but not more important than keeping a roof over my kid’s head.
Heh–again someone in that situation should probably be browsing something besides feminist blogs, while at work or not
:-)
Izzycat88
That guy deserve to get fired you go girl expose this scum for they are. He’s a pathetic low life. This should be message to men everywhere not to harrass women.