"Breached" confidentiality agreement at newspaper

[Jeff1320]

What is the name of your state? Florida

Hi, here we go:

I worked as a copy editor at a newspaper. I was fired, with no warning, for posting a "heads-up" on a fan forum board telling other fans to look for a specific sports story the next day (or within hours of them being posted on the paper's Web site). Important aspects:

1) the story was sent to us from another newspaper, based on an "agreement" we hold with them. I'm awaiting a copy of the confidentiality agreement, but I don't believe it mentioned this relationship with another media source. Again, this story was not our own, and they willfully e-mailed it to me.

2) I did not paste the story itself, but only told people to check them out the next day (or online later that night) by providing a very vague sentence or two of what it was about. I was essentially promoting the story, not stealing it.

3) I was informed my first day on the job that the executive editor did not favor me because I had left the newspaper years ago, worked for a rival media source, then returned. He initiated my firing when it was deduced I had posted on this message board.

I believe there was ulterior motive. Is it even worth pursuing? Worth a shot, I thought.

THanks in advance.

 

[cbg]

Unless you have a valid and supportable reason to believe that you were actually fired BECAUSE OF your race, religion, national origin etc. OR because you applied for or utilized a right or benefit protected under the law (FMLA, workers comp, attending a union meeting etc.) then no, it would be a waste of time to try to take legal action. Based on the facts in your post, nothing illegal has transpired.