Watch what you post on Facebook. It may land you in serious trouble.
Cliff Hicks has been arrested after he posted a series of messages on his Facebook page that allegedly threatened his former employer, Attorney Greg Underwood of Norfolk Commonwealth in Virginia, WVEC 13 reports. Hicks, who left the office in 2010, has been unable to find steady work since then. His mother, Judy Brooks, told the local ABC affiliate that Hicks posted the comments while intoxicated.
"That's not Cliff," she said. "That's alcohol... When he's been drinking, he doesn't remember anything."
Underwood indicated to police that he took the threats seriously, which included Hicks stating he was "tired of being intimidated" and also him saying "I will kick your" rear end, as The Virginian-Pilot puts it. WVEC.com, the local ABC affiliate, reports that he has been charged with communicating a threat in writing, a felony in the state of Virginia.
It's not the first time an employees threatened a boss.
Neil Prescott of Crofton, Maryland, was recently arrested by police for threatening to kill his boss, KPLC 7 reports. In one such threat, Prescott told his employer that he was the Joker and would have no problem loading his gun and blow everyone up. Upon searching Prescott's home, the police found what KPLC described as an arsenal of weapons.
If a number of recent studies are any indication, how you present yourself on Facebook could ruin future employment opportunities too. In England, a 2010 study found that roughly half of employers had decided against a job candidate after taking a look at their Facebook page. A more recent study provided evidence that such judgements might not be a bad way to go about things.