Another Example of Misogynistic Attitudes?

[TandA]

BBC News story on Shropshire senior officers

If true then I find all this incomprehensible in the modern day and age.  I thought some of the attitudes seemingly revealed here had been left behind many years ago.  Unfortunately it will reflect upon us all again.

[Mr Wells]

Depressing. 

[Messyshaw]

I might be a bit contraversial here .... I hope not ..... so please bear with me.

If the conversation was on a fire service phone, and therefore a work related message, or someway related to fire service work, then they deserve all the smelly brown stuff that may be coming their way. No argument with me there. There's also not doubt that some of what they said was deeply offensive and downright bloody nasty.

But if this was a private conversation on an encrypted Whatsapp application between two adults, I would argue that they have the right to free speech and indeed privacy. Just because something said is unpalatable , nasty or off the scale offensive - doesnt mean someone hasn't got the right to say it privately 

The nature of how and why it was leaked will reveal more of course.

Its most definitely regrettable that the fire service is again being dragged through the mud and lets hope it can be sorted out soon

[Kinmel]

I don't disagree with you in principle, but I am much more concerned with their failure to do their own jobs competently.  They should have dealt with the perceived problem rather than winge about it.   

To my mind it is very much a case of the pot calling the kettle black, the CFO and Deputy should be discharged for incompetence.

[BurtMacklin]

My take on it is that, if it is as described in that article, the conversation alone doesn’t contain anything a reasonable person could consider as career ending. However the aggravating factor is their rank, they rightly should be held to a higher standard as the two people with the most influence over culture in their organisation. The origins of the messages are irrelevant in my opinion, you don’t need to be in uniform when you do something stupid that brings your employer into disrepute. 

[Matt]

If the converstation was just between the two of them then who leaked it, one of them did surely??!!

There are two sides to every story, I do agree with Messy though.  I would say something else but but it won't be right and will upset many probably so not worth it.  Sick of seeing stories like this popping up, if people cannot work together why take it to the media, have a chat with managers etc if not happy then part company and go elsewhere or do something about it behind closed doors, its not good PR.

I was shocked to actually see this story after meeting Adam last year, was the last person I expected to pop up on the news in this way, I generally get a feeling about someone especially in my line of work and he wasn't one of them.  Like I say two sides to every story.