Is this a fireable offense?

I worked with Paul back in the day. Good guy at that time anyway.

But no way I'd let one of my people write or post such a thing. Yikes.

 

Seems inappropriate to me. Not everyone is a bikini model.

How many of us would look stunning in a dress and heels at age 50?

 

Is it touchy? Yes.
Does it probably cross the line? Yes.
Is it fireable? God no.

 

as someone who writes a whole lot of off-the-cuff blog stuff, guy should be fired on the spot. inexcusable. gone. see ya, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

 

I disagree. What if some athlete no one really knew or liked was trans gendering and he wrote the same thing about her? Would anyone say he should be fired?

I think it's inappropriate but not something I would can someone over.

 

Didnt Reilly talk about her looks when he did his couln a couple of weeks ago?

 

Of course it's fireable, unless he's in a union.
I never would defend plagiarism in any form, but in terms of harm done, what's worse? This mean-spirited, personal and not amusing crap, putting someone who isn't really newsworthy in the line of fire and actively hurting someone's feelings? Or lifting a few paragraphs from some publication somewhere that hurts ... no one? But people can get fired for doing the latter with no one batting an eye.
Funny how being lazy behind closed doors can get you fired in this business, but being a real jerk for all the world to see, while representing your paper so badly, might not.

This ain't something you can apologize for, either. If it's a published apology, it will just call more attention to the nasty attack. If it's a private apology, it's b.s., too -- insulting someone in public then apologizing in private. Something a stinking ball player or coach would do.

 

Bingo.

 

Yes but columnists write unflattering stuff about people all the time.

 

It's a spectacular lapse in judgment and certainly grounds for taking away his column/blog, but it's not a fireable offense. Regardless the man needs to spend 41 cents on a stamp and send Christine an apology.

 

Columnists write "all the time" about people's appearance? Really?

I'm not sure if this column is a firing offense, but it's pretty despicable.