RI State Legislator Fired From Civilian Job Over Political Comments
Although she was allegedly warned by her employer, a Rhode Island state legislator who worked as a waitress was let go for voicing her political views while she worked her shift.
Raymond Burns, the owner of Classic Café, said he told Moira Walsh, who is the Providence Democratic representative, that her constant political discussions were interfering with her job. He said the straw that broke the camel’s back came in the form of an Internet review about the restaurant that included a complaint about Walsh.
According to Walsh, she never received a warning about political talking with the customers and said the review is not about the service she provided but her political belief. She said the review told men not to go to the breakfast spot because of its’ anti-male views she had talked about on social media and radio.
Walsh said she’s been working at the Café for eight years since she was a teenager.
She said Burns told her that she was doing great at the State House, but her political views were having a negative effect on the business and that they would have to let her go.
Burns said it’s not about political censorship and denying her right to free speech, but that her comments publicly were coming back on the business.
Walsh said it began from a social media posting she made before Christmas that gave cheers to all women – trans and femmes. It read that the “boys can kick rocks.”
Walsh won the Democratic primary over the longtime incumbent. She gained attention b talking about her struggles as a 26-year-old single parent and problems waitresses and the minimum wage.
She said it was clear the comments made some folks uncomfortable, but if people are agitated by it, then obviously something is working.
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