Tag Archives: coward’s way out

Today’s burning question: I am a fire chief and I want to know if I can discipline a firefighter for the comments his wife is posting on social media that demean and disparage me and the fire department if I know he is behind it. Answer: Ah yes, the proverbial “coward’s way out”: using one’s spouse as a mouthpiece to criticize the fire chief and the fire department.

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Three wrongful termination cases are in the fire law headlines today, one from Oregon, one from Pennsylvania and one from Michigan. All three are updates on cases we covered in the past few months.

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Today’s burning question: Can I be fired from my job as a fire chief because my wife criticizes my bosses on social media? Answer: Chances are your bosses will find another reason to fire you if they were upset about your wife’s social media activities. That is what former Cannon Beach Fire Chief Mike Balzer claims happened to him.

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