Social media has once again stirred up trouble in the employment law landscape. This time the moral of the story isn’t “be careful what you post online,” it’s “be careful what your child posts online”!
A Florida man filed, and won, an age discrimination lawsuit against his former employer, a prep school.
He was going to receive an $80,000 settlement until his daughter took to social media. On her Facebook account, she posted:
“Mama and Papa Snay won the case against Gulliver. Gulliver is now officially paying for my vacation to Europe this summer. SUCK IT.”
A few days later, a letter arrived informing the father that he had broken a confidentiality agreement that stated he and his wife could not disclose the details of the settlement to anyone (apart from attorneys and professional advisors).
The Third District Court of Appeal for the State of Florida ruled in favor of the school.
For more coverage, see CNN.
Was the settlement void then, meaning the father could still pursue the case in court? Or was he completely out of luck?