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I find Avery Haines's sense of discipline very impressive.

Here we have a commonplace scenario scene I: a conflict between an
organization and an individual. In the US at least, the normal ("normal" in
the US sense, meaning "usual," rather than "normal" in the French sense,
meaning "following the rule") scene II is what I call the Robin Williams
assumption: the organization must be wrong. Scene III: the lawsuit.

But no, she recites, respects, and understands the rule. She understands
how the organization works and should work. She admits that she made a
mistake and accepts the consequences. Questions of political correctness
aside, I consider her behavior after making the comments commendably
professional. Organizations should work this way, and they require
individual efforts - even self-sacrifice.


Roger Putzel
Associate Professor of Business Administration
St. Michael's College
Colchester, VT
05439-0211 USA

Things would be so different if they were not as they are. -
Anna Russell

The comments on this issue are interesting but I there's another aspect
worth addressing. I agree with Roger Putzel's that Ms. Haines' has handled
the event incredibly well. Her reactions to the incident have elevated her
standing quite a bit. She has received job offers from at least one other
television station and I expect she will come out in better condition in the
long run.

The tape was aired by accident and the technician who ran it has not been
fired nor has she been identified. Ms. Haines reportedly went over to the
technician after the incident and consoled her.

The executive who fired Ms. Haines was also reported to be in tears when he
fired her as Ms. Haines performance had been considered exemplary up to that
point.

One aspect I think is curious is why something like this (expressing an
opinion that is considered "inappropriate") warrants immediate termination.
The usual discipline pattern is verbal warning, written warning,
termination. Why does this particular offense seem to go straight to
termination. Ms. Haines reportedly has not expressed racist views before.
She was making light of her own error and her own situation as she likely
wouldn't have been hired if she hadn't been a woman.

It seems ironic for someone to react with intolerance over an issue that is
about open-mindedness.