Sheriff's Office Sues To ID Deputies Behind Web Posts (Florida)

[tlcandie]

http://news.tbo.com/news/MGB27Z83XBE.html

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TAMPA - Top brass at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, growing weary of Web site postings they say include racist and sexist comments, have filed a lawsuit to identify the authors.
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Through the lawsuit, the sheriff's office is making moves to identify the anonymous deputies. Should they be identified, Docobo said, they will be disciplined, up to and including termination.
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The battle between the anonymous deputies and the sheriff's office represents a growing trend on the Internet of employers seeking to discipline employees for their anonymous online postings. When that battle moves from the boardrooms to law enforcement agencies, however, new issues crop up, including the privacy enjoyed by law enforcement officers and the heavier criticism allowed when speaking about public officials.
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