A gay policeman in London is suing Metropolitan police for homophobic and racial discrimination after he claims he was pushed out of the force.
Special Branch detective Kevin Maxwell was trying to reintegrate back into police work after two and a half years of medical leave (for clinical depression) when he says his superior officers and colleagues systematically and strategically made it impossible for him to continue working.
At the heart of his allegations is one incident in which a special meeting was called to warn officers that their activity on social media sites was being monitored. Maxwell claims the meeting was specifically designed to rattle him, as Grindr was specifically called out.
“Clearly this made me feel uncomfortable,” Maxwell said. “As an out gay man I was offended. I know many police officers who are gay and not necessarily “out” at work, who use these type of “lawful” social networking applications.”
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
He also found comments made by officers on a police website that said, “If I couldn’t hack it in the police, why didn’t I become and hairdresser or cabin crew.”
There may be more than meets the eye to Maxwells story (you can read the full saga here), but it does expose the possibility that employees could be monitored on Grindr.
But really, all you could monitor from the shadows is whether or not someone has logged in by their profile being online, unless of course there are high ranking British police creating fake profiles and trying to solicit their subordinates.
Which kind of sounds like the beginning of a porn.
robirob
Mobbing and bullying the weak (aka colleages and subordinates) is a favorite sport, pasttime, or hobby for some people in the work force.
robirob
@robirob: sorry: colleagues
Nowuvedoneit
Interesting if they did monitor his Grindr, activities I don’t know how that would impact his job performance but I suspect there might be more to this story. I’ll reserve judgment and condemnation for a later date.
hex0
The Met is corrupt as fuck, always has been, my mother who’s London born and bred loathes them. Glad I don’t live in that craphole.
Teeth
So, the flip side of this is: jobs like police, nurses, doctors, therapists– we aren’t held to the same standard as everyone else. We are held to a much higher standard. So being a cop on an anon hook-up site could be a problem, imo. Let me ask this, especially for the other public servant professionals here: how could he be so STUPID as to use identifiable information on GRINDER. I have a Scruff Profile– do you think my face or real name is on it?? Hell no. I am allowed to cruise, but i am not allowed to cruise as freely.
trebornos
Please do not place too much weight to anything you may read in the Daily Mail.
jbeau
@Teeth, I totally agree with you. I’m an NP and while I am married, even when I was single I didn’t use sites like adam4adam and manhunt and was very careful with my grindr profile and used tasteful (ie: not my torso or groin) photos and didn’t send nude pictures and my profile caption was always well-written and not discriminatory or offensive. I know I am definitely held to a higher standard than the rest of society and I’m not going to disgrace my profession for some tail.
Mezaien
All P.O.M.Ys are bastards! why I am not surprise.
Teeth
@jbeau: Exactly. We have to be more aware. There is no vetting to see which people are looking at your profile, so you have to assume that it will be seen by everyone. I actually got a hello on Scruff from an ICU RN, at the hospital where i work, and let me tell you.. the stuff in his profile is NOT crap that needs to be out there. Saying “I am looking for a date, this is what I like” is one thing.. but saying “I’m looking to get pee’d on, this is what my ass looks like” is another. It is a privilege to do this work, and there is a cost.
topshelf
I have to question this guys motives. Every job I’ve had, I’ve been told to be smart about what I divulge on social sites. I instruct my employees of the same. Before hiring anyone, I always check out their social presence.
This man seems to find more reasons not to work, than to work. Over two years off for depression? Well a two year vacation would certainly cure my depression! He maxed-out the most possible amount of paid leave that he could get. Now this? He’s a total scam artist. And everyone else is paying for it.
billforsyth
Unfortunately when entering some professions you must accept that there are restrictions on what you do when not at work in order to maintain the dignity and responsibility given to you as a member of that profession and not to bring that profession into disrepute .
It is perhaps an issue to consider before entering such a profession, not all jobs are the same and that applies to all who contemplate a career in such a profession regardless of anything else.