Friday, November 18, 2011

MO: Sugar Plum Fairy Fired for Using 'Naughty Words', while not on the job



We read:
"Laura Coppinger, 29, of St. Louis, is an actress who has portrayed the Sugar Plum Fairy for the past six years on historic Main Street in St. Charles during the annual Christmas Traditions festival. She was recently fired for cursing -- not on the job, but when she went to take a drug test required of all city employees.

Coppinger accidentally flushed the toilet during the drug test, which is prohibited. When told she would have to wait at the drug testing facility until she could provide another urine sample, she said she swore out of frustration because the delay meant she would miss a job interview.

A short time later, she was told to go home. The city's human resources department said she violated the code of conduct for a Christmas Traditions character by uttering "naughty words."

Coppinger said she has gotten an outpouring of support since she made her story public on Saturday. "It's very exciting to know that the Sugar Plum Fairy has inspired so many people and has made people's Christmases and that people are standing up for her and for me as the actress playing her," she said.

More here

10 comments:

Stan B said...

So she was taking the drug test and uttered the naughty words in her costume? That's the only possible reading of the policy, because otherwise it's a clear infringement of the lady's right to Free Speech. While a private company may be able to penalize her for expressing her frustration, the government may not.

Probably some city worker got their panties in a bunch after hearing her swear and assuming it was at them! Self-centered jerk.....

DALE R. PATTERSON said...

She was taking her work-mandated drug test, and was on the clock.

How is that "not on the job"?

A. Levy said...

Department of human resources. Is that code for the new Gestapo?

"Political correctness is a greater threat to our freedom and liberty than is terrorism..."

Anonymous said...

You can't make this stuff up.

And D.R.P. effing defends it.

Unbelieveable.

There are too many people like that in the world today to stop it from getting flushed down the toilet. It will take a long time, but when all these losers die off after their nanny state governments fail, the survivors will be able to start again from scratch.

Liberty!

-L

Mal said...

The real Sugar Plum Fairy uses naughty words on a regular basis, I understand.

Anonymous said...

Totally off topic, but I have a new liberal darling group for your laughing enjoyment. Now genderqueer, who think they are both male and female, and don't like to be referred to as he or she, but prefer "they". I honestly though it was an Onion article, but liberals really are this mentally ill.

http://www.dailybruin.com/index.php/article/2011/11/a_minority_within_the_lgbt_community

Anonymous said...

I think I'm more offended that a seasonal, part-time, city employee in a position that doesn't effect public safety is taking a drug test that is paid for with tax dollars.

Anonymous said...

So someone who is paid to BE the Sugar Plum Fairy has to take a drug test, but those who claim to SEE the Sugar plum Fairy are not? Oh the injustice!

Stan B said...

She was taking her work-mandated drug test, and was on the clock.

She was taking the drug test as a city employee - NOT as a "holiday character" and NOT in public. The policy, no doubt, is intended to prevent the retention of a holiday character who PUBLICLY swears while IN CHARACTER. To claim she was "on the clock" and therefore "culpable" because of it - which is assuming facts not in evidence - I've never been paid for an "employment drug test" - is the result of someone being offended and LOOKING for an excuse to get rid of her.

Kee Bird said...

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