Rubbish reporting

[Northerner]

I came across this strange story, where a man accused of looking at inappropriate images on a school's computer was sacked, but took the employers to a tribunal on the grounds od disability discrimination due to his diabetes and won. The story is poorly written, but also contains the incorrect assertion that:

Mr Dickson's doctor said his behaviour could have been caused by hypoglycaemia, when blood sugar drops to a level that could lead to a diabetic coma without insulin. Symptoms included memory loss, atypical and automatic behaviour.

So, if you're hypo, you need to take insulin? I'm sure (I hope!) that that isn't what his doctor said!😱

Here's the article:

http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/hea...sufferer_sacked_from_school_wins_back_job.php

 

[insulinaddict09]

I came across this strange story, where a man accused of looking at inappropriate images on a school's computer was sacked, but took the employers to a tribunal on the grounds od disability discrimination due to his diabetes and won. The story is poorly written, but also contains the incorrect assertion that:




So, if you're hypo, you need to take insulin? I'm sure (I hope!) that that isn't what his doctor said!😱

Here's the article:

http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/hea...sufferer_sacked_from_school_wins_back_job.php

Hmm thanks for that Northerner , I now know where I'm going wrong then !! bring on the Insulin 😱😱

 

[randomange]

That is really rather shocking! 😱 What hope do we have of educating the public with reporting like this.

Also, he blamed that fact that he might have been *hypo* for looking at inappropriate pictures? Maybe it's just me, but the only time I've acted strangely or had memory blanks (thankfully only a few times), there was no doubt whatsoever that I was taking a hypo.

 

[bev]

Dreadful reporting! Also, what is the 'wrong strength' insulin? This is just a cover - using his diabetes as an excuse is unforgiveable!😱Bev

 

[Donald]

did the tribunal do any research into the case to get the facts about diabetes or do they just accept the doctor statement. I' am unsure incase I say the wrong thing

 

[Caroline Wilson]

This worrying. Perhaps we have it all wrong in taking sugar for a hypo?

There are a lot of misconceptions about diabetes, and articles like that don't help.

 

[Northerner]

This worrying. Perhaps we have it all wrong in taking sugar for a hypo?

There are a lot of misconceptions about diabetes, and articles like that don't help.

Precisely. The general public probably know that there is a relationship between diabetes and insulin, but this will give them totally the wrong idea. I wouldn't be surprised if the journalist wrote that, not because it was the doctor's words, but because he didn't have the statement to hand and made assumptions from his own errant knowledge.

 

[runner]

Just read the arcticle - that's worrying - don't like the idea of someone using the disability card to cover such behaviour, and when it's so misinformed.

There were 2 points tho' in the article - no-on appeared to be logged on at the times stated - but how was he accused then - was he observed?

Even if the porn site is legal, anyone working anywhere near children should know better than to access such material in a school setting. Part of the work I do is working with the potential and real consequences of this type of behaviour - there are no excuses, disability or otherwise.

 

[Northerner]

Just read the arcticle - that's worrying - don't like the idea of someone using the disability card to cover such behaviour, and when it's so misinformed.

There were 2 points tho' in the article - no-on appeared to be logged on at the times stated - but how was he accused then - was he observed?

Even if the porn site is legal, anyone working anywhere near children should know better than to access such material in a school setting. Part of the work I do is working with the potential and real consequences of this type of behaviour - there are no excuses, disability or otherwise.

That's why the reporting seems so poor to me, and very confused. Where did the allegation come from? If no-one was logged on, who said he was, and why that site? I wouldn't really call Maxim a 'porn' site - it's more along the style of FHM and GQ. And if he was hypo one night, what happened? Did he treat it? Had he taken fast-acting instead of slow-acting, and therefore this was the 'wrong strength' insulin? If so, I would have expected a severe, incapacitating hypo - I know if I took 9 units of novorapid instead of lantus without carbs I would be waking up with a crowd standing round me, not logging on to the internet!

Here's my speculation: someone logged into the Maxim site. Someone accused him of doing it. He wasn't sure if he'd done it or not, because of a very confused state whilst hypo. He claimed they couldn't sack him for doing something when confused because of his diabetes. They found no-one had logged on at the times stated (although someone might have at some other time - but then they wouldn't have known whether it was him or not, could have been anyone through the day, but only him if at night.).

So, if this speculation is true, it's probably valid to say his diabetes was a fundamental part of his defence, but that it should never have got so far because the circumstantial evidence was wrong. Yes, I'm bored this morning!😉

 

[Proudspirit]

Sorry but he should have been sacked. he was on a school computer and therefore all children would have access to the site through the history.

Using Diabetes as an excuse is mad, if as the dr said he had automated behaviour does that mean he could rape or kill someone?? No i don't think so!

It will just make people weary of Diabetics!

Not bothered what anyone does in their own home or with their own pc but come on ... in a school!

Julie x

 

[Steff]

im abit late on this but i do agree julie he accsessed it through a school website where any 1 of hundreds of kids could have seen that , he should of had more sense nobody would if give a dam if he had done it at home that is his business but where children are concerned it opens up a whole can of worms

on the subject of FHm etc etc my O/H has been getting it for years (fhm i mean 🙂 ) and i would not construde that as being porn they are adverts for aftershaves and perfumes in there as well as many other subjects including cars and reviews of pubs and clubs.

 

[Caroline Wilson]

I think also porn s a matter of perception too. I don't see maxim as porn or page 3 in the sun, but I have a friend who thinks it is disgusting to advertise sanitary towels and tampons in magazines aimed at women.

It's all down to personal perceptions and innacurate reporting. Can't speak for the school, but where I work porn sites are blocked, no one can access anything that looks like pornography from a works computer unless they know a back route.

 

[Northerner]

Sorry but he should have been sacked. he was on a school computer and therefore all children would have access to the site through the history.

Using Diabetes as an excuse is mad, if as the dr said he had automated behaviour does that mean he could rape or kill someone?? No i don't think so!

It will just make people weary of Diabetics!

Not bothered what anyone does in their own home or with their own pc but come on ... in a school!

Julie x

I certainly wasn't defending the action, I agree with you about schools and any adult content, however mild that may be to an adult. But what the article seems to be saying is that he was totally unaware that he had done what he was being accused of, and this was the only explanation he could give - unsurprinsing, since he hadn't actually done it, as the logs showed!😱

 

[sofaraway]

What actually happened with the computers is a bit confusing from the article. But I'm not sure using being hypo was a good idea for a defence. I think that even when hypo we need to be responsible for our actions. It doesn't say that he has hypo unawareness, but it he did maybe that played a part. Anyone here have it and can give us examples of things that can be done when hypo?

 

[katie]

I know that people do silly little things when hypo. Like getting something to treat a hypo and then putting it back in the fridge instead of the cupboard. Ive almost done things but realised just in time.