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Would-be NASA intern loses gig after vulgar tweet to NASA alum Homer Hickam, reports say
A woman may have lost a highly coveted NASA internship following a profanity-laced back-and-forth with a user on Twitter. That user? Famed former NASA engineer and current space council adviser Homer Hickam.
The exchange, reportedly captured in screenshots that rocketed across social media, began when a user identified as Naomi H. (@NaomiH_official) made an announcement to the world: "Everyone shut the f--- up," she tweeted, Newsweek and Buzzfeed News report, citing images of since-removed tweets. "I got accepted for a NASA internship."
After a Twitter user notes Naomi's "language," Naomi replies with a sexually vulgar tweet not at all suitable for publication. "I'm working at NASA," Naomi concludes. The user Naomi told off is Homer Hickam, the former NASA engineer and inspiration of the 1999 film "October Sky," based on his memoir. "And I am on the National Space Council that oversees NASA," Hickam replies, referencing his appointment to the advisory group earlier this year.
[...] Hickam said he takes no offense at the 'f-word,' but sought to warn her that NASA might. And while Hickam did not seek to influence the internship and had no authority to do so, according to the post, use of the NASA hashtag later alerted the agency to the irreverent tweets.
[...] Hickam later wrote about the incident on his blog, saying he had nothing to do with her getting fired.
“I'm a Vietnam vet and not at all offended by the F-word. However, when I saw NASA and the word used together, it occurred to me that this young person might get in trouble if NASA saw it so I tweeted to her one word: "Language" and intended to leave it at that.
Soon, her friends took umbrage and said a lot of unkind things but long after I was gone as I immediately deleted my comments and blocked all concerned.
Later, I learned she had lost her offer for an internship with NASA. This I had nothing to do with nor could I since I do not hire and fire at the agency or have any say on employment whatsoever.
[...] Naomi eventually reached out and apologized to Hickam. After the conversation, Hickam had kind words to say about Naomi. He also said he would help her find a better position.
She reached out to me with an unnecessary apology which I heartily accepted and returned with my own. After talking to her, I am certain she deserves a position in the aerospace industry and I'm doing all I can to secure her one that will be better than she lost. I have also talked to the folks that had to do with her internship and made absolutely certain that there will be no black mark on her record.
(Score: 2) by AthanasiusKircher on Friday August 24 2018, @04:18AM
Agreed.
The way I read TFA, it's not likely she was fired merely for profanity. She was fired because when reminded politely on a prominent public forum that her language choices might draw negative attention, she instead turned around and acted like a jerk by replying in an even more excessively vulgar manner to one of the most prominent former members of the organization she was now hired to.
It's a combination thing -- the profanity PLUS repeated mentioning of the organization's name in vulgar tweets PLUS acting like an ass to a prominent public figure associated with said organization... all on a forum that is displayed publicly.