#HasJustineLandedYet is your friendly reminder that being racist on Twitter will get you fired
Over the weekend, one IAC PR executive lost her job after tweeting a ridiculous message about possibly getting AIDS in Africa. Justine Sacco was the head of corporate communications for IAC, a media company that operates websites like The Daily Beast and Match.com.
Over the weekend, one IAC PR executive lost her job after tweeting a ridiculous message about possibly getting AIDS in Africa. Justine Sacco was the head of corporate communications for IAC, a media company that operates websites like The Daily Beast and Match.com.
Just before boarding her International flight from London to South Africa, Sacco sent a tweet that pretty much lit the Internet on fire.
As she was obviously en route to her destination for quite some time, IAC caught wind of the tweet and issued an official statement before Sacco's plane had even touched down.
On Friday afternoon, with hours to go before she landed, another corporate communications representative for IAC issued a statement that tried to address the online controversy.
"This is an outrageous, offensive comment that does not reflect the views and values of IAC," the company said. "Unfortunately, the employee in question is unreachable on an international flight, but this is a very serious matter and we are taking appropriate action."
Obviously, the Internet realized that Sacco's head was on the chopping block and began to mock her with #HasJustineLandedYet, knowing full well that she'd be reprimanded/fired immediately upon reaching her destination.
IAC did can Sacco almost immediately. She's since released a statement apologizing for her tweet and explaining that she understands why IAC had to let her go.
In a written statement. Sacco apologized "for being insensitive to this crisis -- which does not discriminate by race, gender or sexual orientation, but which terrifies us all uniformly -- and to the millions of people living with the virus, I am ashamed."
She added that she is a native of South Africa and was upset that she had hurt so many people there.
"I am very sorry for the pain I caused," she wrote.
Consider this your friendly reminder that being racist on Twitter will probably get you fired. [CNN]