University of WA Sacks Employee Over Hilarious Sounding Memes

To meme, or not to meme? That was a question this admin officer at the University of Western Australia should have pondered.

James Mitton was dismissed from his position at the uni earlier this month. It all came about after the institution’s Vice Chancellor told staff before Christmas that 300 of them would lose their jobs in the new year, Mitton who was obviously a bit miffed sent a series of memes with three of his colleagues.

One of the photoshopped memes was a Christmas card with the Grinch-like message: “Season’s Greetings, I hope you’re employable elsewhere in 2016.” While another depicted the vice-chancellor with devil’s fangs in front of a pit of fire and another with his face superimposed over a 300 movie poster with the tagline: “Pledged to crush.”

Mitton was suspended without pay on February 9 over the emails, which were apparently “inappropriate and disrespectful photos”, along with citing Mitton’s response to the universities warning as using “disrespectful language”.

The University of WA is now facing an unfair dismissal case. The Union’s WA state organiser Marty Braithwaite told news.com.au that Mitton’s dismissal was “completely unfair” and the case “the worst that we’ve ever encountered”.

“The fact of the matter is the right to criticise your employer is really a common law right that’s fundamental to free speech. These were private communications between a couple of staff members, and while we respect the university has the right to access email on its system, this action shows it’s very thin-skinned.”

But I think we can all agree… maybe don’t send memes about your boss through your work email?