Patrick Snay was an instructor at a Florida educational institution. After the school declined to renew his contract, Snay filed a lawsuit alleging age discrimination and retaliation. The parties ultimately settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount … well, until Snay’s daughter jumped on Facebook and posted the following:
“Mama and Papa Snay won the case against Gulliver,' she wrote to her more than 1,200 friends. 'Gulliver is now officially paying for my vacation to Europe this summer. SUCK IT.”
Snay never saw a penny from the deal since his daughter’s post demonstrated a clear violation of a confidentiality provision within the settlement agreement.
This is just another example of one of the many unintended consequences that can accompany social media use.