I for one am very happy that the Hooksett Four were fired.  Reason being...I worked in the office for 15 years, before I was finally promoted. A group of jealous women (I call..the Pink Collar Gang), spread a rumor that I slept with the boss, for the promotion.  One of them said..."We should get her some knee pads, so she won't bruise her knees when she goes into the boss's office".

Not only was the rumor untrue, when my boss got wind of the rumor, he found every reason in the book to demote me.  Which I finally accepted, in lieu of being fired.  Those women ruined my reputation, and my career.

In my opinion, they are wicked, evil, bitter, ugly people and they deserve everything they got, and I hope they're reading this right now.  You should have been thinking how lucky you were to have such good jobs, instead of poisoning the well.

"Gossip is a window into the soul of the speaker, but only clouds your vision of others."

Sincerely,

Beverly King

Lakewood, CA 90713

Beverly, I'm sorry this happened to you.   Are you saying the Pink Collar Gang is the same people as the Hookset Four are?  Why did your boss not have more gumption than to fire you in the face of rumors?  I don't believe in gossip, and I know it can destroy relationships, jobs and people.  However, up until now and reading your post, I had felt that these women were unfairly fired.  Now, I'm wondering what to think.

Beverly,

I am sorry that it happened to you . You are the one whom is bitter,evil. And no they did bot deserve what they got. Maybe you did. All of the Hooksett 4 ladys are close friends of mine. You don't know anything about them. You are only going on what the media want you to belive. I feel they were fired inappropriately. The town council has hired a town adm who has no back bone in what he does to others, because some of the town council memebers are the same way. He only cares about himself and so do they.

HOOKSETT FOUR

GOSSIP :

Gossip is often a major ingredient in workplace bullying!

Gossip is defined as casual conversation or unsubstantiated reports about other people.

A gossip is a person who talks, in a mostly derogatory manner about other persons’ lives.

Gossip involving merely repeating unsubstantiated reports is equally culpable.

Gossip in the workplace encompasses venues within the scope of the employment including lunch-hour conversations particularly with co-workers.

Work related gossip with outsiders is also a breach of confidentiality which workers owe to their employer.

Some legal consequences for the accused can include ;

Offence under Discrimination legislation in most Common Law jurisdictions

Defamation (slander).

Disciplinary consequences up to dismissal in the employment context.

Consequences for the target ;

(a)     Embarrassment  ;

(b)    Victimization.

(c)     Bullying.

(d)    Workplace disaffection.

This could lead to the possibility that the employer would be vicariously liable for any personal injury suffered by the complainant.

Now to the Hooksett Four case.

The town council voted to fire four workers because they discussed an alleged rumour about a possible romantic relationship between their boss, Town Administrator and another employee. This is accepted by all sides as being untrue.

This behaviour was regarded as insubordination, impropriety and dishonesty.

An Attorney at Law, defended two of the workers in a public hearing to appeal for their reinstatement.

No one has said the rumour is true, being untrue leaves the four workers liable in damages for a defamation suit, and it may be slander per se because it imputes unchastity to the female victim!  

The attorney for the town of Hooksett, said the women knowingly spread a false rumour.

The workers’ attorney said "That did not happen”.

Suggested Defences?

"I think the issue that keeps coming up is the idea of gossip that is basically universal, anyone short of a robot gossips." suggested by a partner in the defence camp.

This is no defence.

"Especially where there was no type of warning or rule.”

What sensible adult is unaware of the danger of gossip?

Would a court find that any injury was foreseeable in these circumstances?

Yes it would!

“If that could be a precedent, then who among us isn't going to get fired."

This might invite a sub-editor to pen the headline “Lawyer admits to being a gossip”.

It is also no defence.

The defence attorney maintains his clients did not start the rumour about the named (male) target.

He well knows that to repeat a defamatory statement is itself defamatory so this defence too falls.

He seems to forget that there are two victims in the case.

"This was them raising legitimate question raised to them initially by outsiders that an employee[the female target]was spending an inordinate amount of time with the administrator [the male target].

[Who were these outsiders?]

'Hey, what's going on here. She's getting a higher salary and they've created a new position,' a job arguably created for her.

[This exacerbates the defamation as the report is totally false].

It is a very risky defence.

They were discussing an issue that had to do with work!

Why did they not take it to the board?

According to the town's fact-finding report, one of the workers admitted to using an expletive to refer to the target, although she claims she only did this once, behind closed doors, on her lunch break.  

She published [to others] in the context of her employment.

This is a poor defence.

The town has offered to hold appeal hearings for the other two workers, but their Attorney?., who described the town's appeal process as "woefully inadequate," said he hasn't decided whether to proceed with the hearings or go directly to court.

Piper says she and the others just want their jobs back.

An abject apology to both victims in public may avert defamation suits.

Richard J. Cahill.

[Public Service Officer] (Retired)

Ballymote,

Co. Sligo,

Ireland.

Responding to J.T.S. question.

No..I did not work in the same office.

It happened to me in California.  Thank you for your time.

Beverly

Beverly, it happened to you in California????? You wrote your email as though you were from Hocksett NH and worked with those four women - were you aware of that?  I ask because it seems mis-leading and wrong of you to do that.

Listen Bev, Shakespear said in Hamlet "he who steals my purse steals trash - but he that robs me of my good name takes from me that which enriches him not, and makes me poor."  I think this is so true.

I am sorry that things went so badly for you but the problem wasn't jealous co-workers, it was your gutless boss and why the hell didn't you file a complaint or sue?  You have to take some respomsibility for what happened to you as well dear!