Restaurant Owner Terminates Employees but Fumbles the Explanation

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Two employees of Famous Dave's barbecue restaurant in North Dakota were fired for a Facebook post implying that Native Americans are bad tippers. 

Famous Dave's photoThe photo was posted during United Tribes International Pow Wow, a festival attended by more 20,000 people, according to event organizers. According to The Huffington Post, the employee shown in the poto "denies creating the cardboard sign, but she doesn't deny posing for the picture." Good move!

Thinking the photo would disappear, the employee's friend shared the photo via Snapchat. Snapchat describes the app on its website, but in this case, the image was shared on Facebook:

"Snapchat is a new way to share moments with friends. Snap an ugly selfie or a video, add a caption, and send it to a friend (or maybe a few). They'll receive it, laugh, and then the snap disappears.

"The image might be a little grainy, and you may not look your best, but that's the point. It's about the moment, a connection between friends, and not just a pretty picture.

"The allure of fleeting messages reminds us about the beauty of friendship - we don't need a reason to stay in touch.

"Give it a try, share a moment, and enjoy the lightness of being!"

Snapchat has been criticized as an unsafe "sexting" app.

Although the owner of Famous Dave's may have done the right thing by terminating the employees, his Facebook post needs editing:

Famous Dave's

Discussion Starters:

  • Assess Mike Wright's Facebook post. What works well, and what could be improved? Edit the post for accuracy.
  • What's your view of Snapchat's claims? Can the site ensure that photos "disappear"? Is the company responsible for images that are shared in the interim, or do users hold this responsibility?