CBS58 had no choice but to fire Sam Kuffel for damaging TV station's image
Letter writers Jeffrey Sommers and Stacey Nocella did a nice job supporting Sam Kuffel in regard to her getting fired by CBS58 for her criticizing Elon Musk's arm wave looking like a Nazi salute, but I think they missed the point.
Kuffel used language via social media that would make a sailor blush. It reflected poorly on her and the station. I feel her engaging personality, good humor and superior job skills should have only merited a two week or one month suspension.
Earl Orlebeke, Waukesha
More: Elon Musk salute ripples across US leading to Sam Kuffel in Milwaukee losing job | Opinion
Several letter writers critical of the firing of CBS58 weather forecaster Sam Kuffel miss two major points.
First, 'free speech' pertains to the government regulating a citizen's speech, not a private employer. Second, when you have a career as an on-air TV personality, that job requires a 'smiling, squeaky clean' image.
When Kuffel added two F-bombs in her post, she violated that image and embarrassed the station. If Kuffel had not included the profanity in her post, I believe she would have not been fired.
Neil Saari, Menomonee Falls
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Sam Kuffel's firing from CBS58 became a national story, but the obvious (to me) reason for her dismissal goes beyond her response to Elon Musk's controversial Nazi-like salute.
While that event sparked attention and political bias about free speech, Kuffel's firing was the culmination of a pattern of unprofessional online behavior that had been building for months. She repeatedly attacked both the public and notable figures on social media, often crossing boundaries that a local journalist should not.
This was not an isolated incident, but part of a broader pattern of hostile interactions with the public, which I believe likely led to her firing. While the Musk incident provided a public focal point, Kuffel's firing was the result of a series of missteps that culminated in that moment. Social media demands accountability, especially for those in the public eye.
Kevin Worm, Milwaukee
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Using profanity on social media big factor in Kuffel firing | Letters
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