Summary: CBS fired a legal executive after she posted comments saying the Las Vegas victims deserved what happened because they were Republicans.
CBS had no problems firing a legal executive that made inappropriate comments on Facebook following the tragic shooting in Las Vegas. Hayley Geftman-Gold, vice president in business affairs, noted that she was “not even sympathetic” to the victims on a Facebook discussion thread.
A mass shooting at a country music concert in Las Vegas left nearly 60 people dead and hundreds injured. Geftman-Gold wrote on the thread, “If they wouldn’t do anything when children were murdered I have no hope that Repugs will ever do the right thing. I’m actually not even sympathetic bc country music fans often are Republican gun toters.” It is assumed she was referring to the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting in 2012.
The comment was deleted soon after but it had already been seen by enough people that promptly called foul on her comments. A petition was posted, calling for an ethics review by the New York Bar Association. The petition reached nearly 9,000 supporters in just a few hours. The petition stated, “In the aftermath of the horrible Las Vegas mass shooting incident, the above cited attorney has published remarks to the effect that the victims of the mass shooting were largely responsible for their own fate. This gross and reckless insensitivity to this mass shooting has created a firestorm of controversy on social media that has brought great discredit to the legal profession in the State of New York.”
Geftman-Gold was fired that same day. A CBS spokesperson said, “This individual, who was with us for approximately one year, violated the standards of our company and is no longer an employee of CBS. Her views as expressed on social media are deeply unacceptable to all of us at CBS. Our hearts go out to the victims in Las Vegas and their families.”
Geftman-Gold tried to cover her tracks with an apology but it was too late. She said, “Earlier today I posted an indefensible post in a Facebook discussion thread concerning the tragic Law Vegas shooting, a statement I sincerely regret. I am deeply sorry for diminishing the significance of every life affected by Stephen Paddock’s terrorism last night and for the pain my words have inflicted on the loved ones of the victims. My shameful comments do not reflect the beliefs of my former employer, colleagues, family, and friends. Nor do they reflect my actual beliefs – this senseless violence warrants the deepest empathy. I understand and accept all consequences that my words have incurred.”
According to her LinkedIn profile, she graduated from Columbia University law school in 2000.
Do you think an apology makes everything better? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
To learn more about people that made inappropriate remarks, read these articles:
- Yahoo Bureau Chief, David Chalian, Fired for Comments at GOP Convention
- Attorney Resigns after Suggesting Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Deserves to Be Sexually Attacked
- Alaska Judge Censured for Saying Some Girls “Asking For It”
Photo: theconservativetreehouse.com
