The protester who burned pages from the Koran outside a planned mosque near Ground Zero has been fired from NJTransit, sources and authorities said Tuesday.I think NJ Transit has placed themselves in legal jeopardy. Mr. Fenton was not arrested or charged with anything and wasn't on work time when he committed his act of protest. Although one squishy Supreme Court justice seems confused about whether Koran burning is allowed under the First Amendment, my guess is this guy would prevail should he choose to sue his former employer.
Derek Fenton's 11-year career at the agency came to an abrupt halt Monday after photographs of him ripping pages from the Muslim holy book and setting them ablaze appeared in newspapers.
Fenton, 39, of Bloomingdale, N.J., burned the book during a protest on the ninth anniversary of Sept. 11 outside Park51, the controversial mosque slated to be built near Ground Zero.
He was apparently inspired by Pastor Terry Jones, the Florida clergyman who threatened to burn the Koran that day but later changed his mind.
NJ Transit said Fenton was fired but wouldn't give specifics.
"Mr. Fenton's public actions violated New Jersey Transit's code of ethics," an agency statement said.
"NJ Transit concluded that Mr. Fenton violated his trust as a state employee and therefore [he] was dismissed."
I hope somebody takes his case, though you can bet it won't be the ACLU or any organization that would have jumped in had he burned an American flag...or a Bible.
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2 comments:
I think a very important line has been crossed and we need to investigate who in NJ Transit has the WISDOM sic... to fire somebody that participated in his 1st amendment right to protest the Ground Zero Mosque atrocity about to be forced upon us from the Religion of Peace. That person needs to be fired... I already have a callin to my representative to take action. Where are in the Soviet Union or Communist China.
First as a former state employee of Georgia, I must point out that any public activity by a state employee that may reflect back upon the state as being biased or un-ethical to the public is pretty much a firable offense at the whims of the bosses.
This is from the New Jersey employee ethics
(7) No State officer or employee or special State officer or employee should knowingly act in any way that might reasonably be expected to create an impression or suspicion among the public having knowledge of his acts that he may be engaged in conduct violative of his trust as a State officer or employee or special State officer or employee.
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