A TRAIN worker has been disciplined after going on Facebook to complain about the cost of cleaning a train after it hit a suicide victim.
Ross Cameron Gordon, from Kemnay, Aberdeenshire, posted the “disgraceful” comment on his private page following the tragedy.
But it is understood the remark so sickened one of his 540 “friends” that Mr Gordon’s bosses were tipped off.
Dyce-based Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) Ltd confirmed that Mr Gordon had been “severely disciplined”.
The case is another reminder of the danger to social media users – including those using private settings – who embarrass their employers.
Mr Gordon, 24, caused outrage last week after commenting on the aftermath of a suicide at the March freight train depot in Cambridgeshire earlier this year.
He told friends: “I just had to raise an order at work for someone’s remains to be scraped off the front of one of our trains.
“Only 1,025 quid. Bargain! Happy Christmas!”
After a friend asked what had happened, he wrote: “March depot. Suicide.”
He added shortly afterwards: “haha his head must have been all over the place.”
Mr Gordon had earlier made highly offensive comments about the suicide of Jacintha Saldhana, the nurse who killed herself after putting a prank call through to the Duchess of Cambridge’s hospital room.
He wrote: “Just because that stupid b**** couldn’t take a joke, selfishly killed herself and left 2 kids behind, the whole radio station that was behind the PRANK call to Kate is being investigated.
“Completely over the top. It was a JOKE. Take a joke.”
One appalled Facebook “friend” of Mr Gordon’s passed the remarks to journalists. It is understood another “friend” separately tipped off his bosses.
Duncan Scott, managing director of EMD Ltd, said: “We immediately launched an investigation and performed an internal disciplinary investigation.
“The staff member did breach the company’s social media policy and has been severely disciplined in line with procedure.
“The staff member, in credit to him, has recognised and has accepted the disciplinary action. He sincerely regrets the comments were made.”
“Devastating”
Mr Scott would not confirm what position Mr Gordon worked in at the company, or exactly what disciplinary action was taken.
He said the incident was “very regrettable” and company guidance on social media had been re-issued after the incident.
When asked if Mr Gordon still worked for the company, Mr Scott said “no comment”.
Touched by Suicide, a charity and self-help group which works with families who have lost loved ones to suicide, branded the comments “disgraceful”.
A spokeswoman said: “For someone who has lost a loved one to suicide, how devastating would it be to see that?
“For anyone to write something like that is disgraceful.
“If any of our members saw that on Facebook they would be devastated.
“That is someone’s brother, husband or loved one, to be so callous says more about him than anything else.”
She continued: “He’s also not taking into account how his colleagues feel about it.
“It might be a horrendous task for anybody to perform, but to vent and make jokes is very, very insensitive.”
“Comments like that make our lives as an organisation harder. How do we get rid of the stigma of suicide with this ignorance?”
In 2009, 16-year-old office worker Kimberly Swan, from Clackton in Essex, lost her job at vell Marketing and Logistics after her employer found comments she posted on Facebook about how boring her job was.
