NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — After several internal reports of employees sharing ‘racially insensitive’ and ‘derogatory’ posts to social media, Newport News Shipbuilding has taken disciplinary action including employee termination.
President Jennifer Boykin posted a letter to her Facebook page that expressed the shipyard’s stance on respect and dignity throughout the workplace.
Boykin said that the actions taken against the employees in question came after an investigation was opened based on numerous reports from workers and the community.
She continued that while the First Amendment gives people the freedom of speech, that does not extend to the workplace when it comes to consequences regarding that speech. Boykin reiterated that Newport News Shipbuilding does not condone any type of harassment.
“I want to be clear that posting hate speech, threats of violence or support for acts of violence, harassment, racist, sexist or ethnic comments, jokes or gestures on social media violates our values and our code of ethics and will not be tolerated,” she said.
In the letter, she commends those that came forward to notify leadership of the posts and said that the NNS mission of Always Good Ships is built on an inclusive environment throughout the workforce.
“Our leadership team is united in our commitment to ensure a workplace free of harassment, intimidation and discrimination, and one where civility and teamwork are the norm. My expectation is that every individual, regardless of position, should actively demonstrate civility in the workplace and strive to be a role model of respectful behavior,” said Boykin.
“Over the coming weeks, we will be providing more information about the importance of civility, and additional guidance for how we interact with each other while upholding high behavioral standards and a commitment to safety.”