Co-worker sent text to another co-worker by mistake, talking about that co-worker (year)

[Cyclist1968]

Originally Posted by manderly6

I still don't see why it matters what she would claim. If the firing is not related to discrimination of a protected class I don't see how it would matter. People get fired every day. Some for no reason at all. I could be fired tomorrow because my boss didn't like my choice of socks.

You also made a mention of implied violence. The text said she wanted to punch the person in the face. Sounds like implied violence to me.

Also keep in mind this person works with children. You have to question her judgement for two things. First, she is stupid enough to put something like that in writing. Second, she is stupid enough to send the text to the wrong person. I wouldn't trust this person' judgement in dealing with kids.

She said she wanted to, not that she was going to do it. Big difference. No violence here, we've all wanted to punch someone in the face but don't do it.
Great observation about trusting her judgement. Who talks like that anyhow? Not anyone you want around children. I got out of substituting in Special Ed, partially because there is just so much gossip and caddyness. It was the hardest job I've ever had. So many freaks become Special Ed Teachers

[goodlife36]

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

Ok............this one is strange. Maybe not. Someone I know works as a preschool teacher, and shares a room with another teacher. My friend received a text message from her co-teacher, clearly meant for someone else, reading something along the lines of this:

"(My friend's real name) is a c*** (rhymes with punt) and I want to punch her in the face"

My friend asked her co-teacher about it, who responded with something along the lines of "haha someone hacked my phone haha." My friend then went to her boss, who as of now, has not taken any action that we know of.

It is a small preschool, so there is not really an HR to intervene. I am not sure what to make of it, if the co-teacher were to be fired, she would have to know why; and if the co-teacher were not to be fired my friend would have to continue working with this person. The relationship has changed the past few days, wonder what my friend should do?

Lol! What did your coworker do to deserve such a lovely text? Lol!

I just cleared my phone and left my three friends. I cannot wait to leave this job and delete their numbers. I hate them..

[Kim in FL]

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

Ok............this one is strange. Maybe not. Someone I know works as a preschool teacher, and shares a room with another teacher. My friend received a text message from her co-teacher, clearly meant for someone else, reading something along the lines of this:

"(My friend's real name) is a c*** (rhymes with punt) and I want to punch her in the face"

My friend asked her co-teacher about it, who responded with something along the lines of "haha someone hacked my phone haha." My friend then went to her boss, who as of now, has not taken any action that we know of.

It is a small preschool, so there is not really an HR to intervene. I am not sure what to make of it, if the co-teacher were to be fired, she would have to know why; and if the co-teacher were not to be fired my friend would have to continue working with this person. The relationship has changed the past few days, wonder what my friend should do?

The co worker should grow up, apologize and double check before she hits send. Your friend needs to grow thicker skin and move on. Why involve the boss?? The boss won't and shouldn't do anything unless it affects their job performace.

Is your friend a **nt? That's a harsh term to use to describe someone........

[Kim in FL]

Originally Posted by Cyclist1968

She said she wanted to, not that she was going to do it. Big difference. No violence here, we've all wanted to punch someone in the face but don't do it.
Great observation about trusting her judgement. Who talks like that anyhow? Not anyone you want around children. I got out of substituting in Special Ed, partially because there is just so much gossip and caddyness. It was the hardest job I've ever had. So many freaks become Special Ed Teachers

Twenty somethings talk like that...I bet they are both in their early to mid twenties.

[macroy]

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

Ok............this one is strange. Maybe not. Someone I know works as a preschool teacher, and shares a room with another teacher. My friend received a text message from her co-teacher, clearly meant for someone else, reading something along the lines of this:

"(My friend's real name) is a c*** (rhymes with punt) and I want to punch her in the face"

My friend asked her co-teacher about it, who responded with something along the lines of "haha someone hacked my phone haha." My friend then went to her boss, who as of now, has not taken any action that we know of.

It is a small preschool, so there is not really an HR to intervene. I am not sure what to make of it, if the co-teacher were to be fired, she would have to know why; and if the co-teacher were not to be fired my friend would have to continue working with this person. The relationship has changed the past few days, wonder what my friend should do?

Maybe your friend should figure it out. She has more insight to the daily environment there. Perhaps it was just a stressful day. I'm not excusing the behavior. But I don't understand why personal conflicts needs to be immediately escalated to the manager.

Originally Posted by manderly6

I would fire the one that sent the text purely on the grounds that I wouldn't want someone that stupid working for me. And the boss is an idiot. Why would she not address a text like that?

Seems like a lot of jumping to conclusions where. Not saying termination isn't warranted. But sort of hard to know without having more info. If we're going to fire someone for saying something idiotic - there would be very few people working.

Originally Posted by manderly6

Would you be OK if one employee was sending another one threatening texts during work? What if a male employee was sending sexually harassing texts to a female worker during work? That is not going to fly in most businesses and could very well open them up to lawsuits.

That escalated quickly. I'm having a bad morning and snap at a co-worker. Should I be fired? I mean, what if the next time instead of just snapping at someone, I pull out a gun and shoot them? I tell a co-worker she looks nice today. Should I be fired? What if i send her a nude picture of myself later?

There is a reason why these things should be looked at case by case. Rather than having a blanket rule (up to a point of course).

[Riley.]

Originally Posted by brokensky

Why would the boss address it? If you get a mean text or an ugly phone call --you are going to run to your boss about it? What in heaven's name is a boss supposed to do about a text, especially since the person who owns the phone said it got hacked?

Aint buying that. The boss should have handled it. "someone hacked my phone" please, and just so happened to have sent a disgusting text to the person next door to you? Come on. I was born at night, but it wasn't last night! And these are the kind of people interacting w/our children? God help us.

[mkpunk]

Originally Posted by brokensky

Why would the boss address it? If you get a mean text or an ugly phone call --you are going to run to your boss about it? What in heaven's name is a boss supposed to do about a text, especially since the person who owns the phone said it got hacked?

You would go to a boss not because of being called a mean name (unless it was a racial, sexual or religious slur) but rather that the employee threatened harm. I would save the text and hold onto it. It would create a hostile work environment and would be cause for termination in an at-will state.

Originally Posted by Tcoma11

never complain about someone of talk trash about someone at work in a documenting media ( text,email, recorded call).

This way, it's your word against theirs if you get accused of something :-)

I would add in public because you never know who is around and if video is recorded these days. If you want to comment about co-workers, do it away from the work site and do it face to face. Unless it was recorded by the party or the office snitch, it is truly one word against others.

Originally Posted by macluffy

That's great advice & I agree with it- but a lot of people forget about that in the heat of the moment. Texting is so rampant now and people can't keep their grubby fingers off their phones.

Yep. Check and double check. Lots of errors from swyping or autofill. That is on top of opening the wrong convo.

Originally Posted by shellymdnv

While usually I would agree that something like that doesn't warrant more than talk with management the message in the OP is different in that the sender threatened violence. It's possible that the sender would never actually resort to violence but it's unfortunately possible that given even a minor trigger the sender would throw that punch.

Yep it is a bit different when you say I want to punch that idiot rather than calling them an idiot. No reason for a principal to have a koombaya and I am in education and practice restorative practices in the classrooms I've worked in.

Originally Posted by Riley.

Aint buying that. The boss should have handled it. "someone hacked my phone" please, and just so happened to have sent a disgusting text to the person next door to you? Come on. I was born at night, but it wasn't last night! And these are the kind of people interacting w/our children? God help us.

Yeah. Hacking is a problem but so is sending texts to the wrong party due to opening the wrong chat.

[luzianne]

I don’t know how it should be handled, but someone who would talk like that about coworkers is not someone I’d want teaching my children.

[HokieFan]

This thread was started nearly 6 years ago.

[kitty61]

Call her aside and say you think she sent you a text in error then show it to her. Watch if she back pedals and then ask her why she would write such a thing. Let her squirm a bit and put it aside.