Reformed Churchmen

We are Confessional Calvinists and a Prayer Book Church-people. In 2012, we remembered the 350th anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer; also, we remembered the 450th anniversary of John Jewel's sober, scholarly, and Reformed "An Apology of the Church of England." In 2013, we remembered the publication of the "Heidelberg Catechism" and the influence of Reformed theologians in England, including Heinrich Bullinger's Decades. For 2014: Tyndale's NT translation. For 2015, John Roger, Rowland Taylor and Bishop John Hooper's martyrdom, burned at the stakes. Books of the month. December 2014: Alan Jacob's "Book of Common Prayer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Book-Common-Prayer-Biography-Religious/dp/0691154813/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417814005&sr=8-1&keywords=jacobs+book+of+common+prayer. January 2015: A.F. Pollard's "Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation: 1489-1556" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-English-Reformation-1489-1556/dp/1592448658/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420055574&sr=8-1&keywords=A.F.+Pollard+Cranmer. February 2015: Jaspar Ridley's "Thomas Cranmer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-Jasper-Ridley/dp/0198212879/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422892154&sr=8-1&keywords=jasper+ridley+cranmer&pebp=1422892151110&peasin=198212879

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

TBN Station Manager Fired for Anti-TBN FB Posting

http://economy.ocregister.com/2012/07/10/facebook-post-gets-tbn-worker-fired/109889/

Facebook post gets TBN worker fired


July 10th, 2012, 3:00 am 

posted by Mary Ann Milbourn

Facebook has become the battleground for workplace issues with the latest involving a Trinity Broadcasting Network employee who was fired for a post that was critical of the Christian ministry’s leadership.


Recent workplace dust-ups have involved a variety of issues from employers asking workers to disclose their Facebook username and password so they can see what the employee or job applicant has posted to ordering removal of private posts that were perceived as derogatory.

All fell into the murky area of free speech and private activity versus employer rights.

The TBN case is different. Jonathan Rovetto, the now former assistant station engineer at TBN’s Milwaukee outlet, knew he likely would be fired but posted a rant on Facebook anyway.

His ire targeted TBN founders Jan and Paul Crouch, who are locked in a legal battle against their granddaughter, Brittany Crouch Koper, who accused them and the network of misusing the ministry’s funds.

Rovetto, 53, and a Brittany supporter, had been following developments in the case online and was becoming more upset with each revelation about how TBN was run.

He initially just began linking on Facebook to online Orange County Register stories about the litigation. But two weeks ago, he said he decided he had to speak out.

“TBN, why should you care? Many people really dislike TBN and don’t watch,” he wrote on his Facebook wall. “Over the years people have been turned off by Jan’s pink hair, screaming preachers during Praise-A-Thon, and the heavy concentration of ‘Prosperity Teachers’ that fill the TBN schedule.”

Rovetto acknowledged the Crouches had built TBN into an international ministry.

“However, they have fallen into the trap that many other prosperity preachers/successful ministers have fallen into,” he wrote. “One word, ENTITLED. Their hard work and success have given them reason to believe they have done something to deserve a lifestyle of pleasure and excess.”

He ended the post asking people to pray for Brittany.

On June 28 Rovetto was fired at the instruction of John Casoria, TBN’s in-house legal counsel.

An email from Casoria to Rovetto’s manager cited the Facebook postings as cause for the dismissal.

“Our follow up shows that he continues to make negative statements about his employer publically (sic),” Casoria wrote. “This is unfortunate. Neither his conduct nor his attitude is conducive to his continuing employment with the ministry.”

Rovetto estimates less than 100 people saw the post but he realized he still probably would be fired.

“I wanted to speak freely about my employer,” Rovetto said.

Roger Schnapp, a Newport Beach attorney and expert on employment law, said legal issues surrounding an employee’s right to comment about their employer on their private social media sites is an evolving area.

“The question becomes whether an employee engaged in protected activity,” Schnapp said. “There is a good likelihood he could have a remedy, as crazy as it sounds.”

Colby M. May, TBN’s attorney, declined to discuss Rovetto’s dismissal.

“I am sure you can appreciate, pursuant to Trinity’s general policies and in respect of privacy interests, it does not comment on personnel matters,” May wrote in an emailed response to a request for comment.”Trinity does, of course, comply with all employment laws applicable to its ministry operations.”

Meanwhile, Rovetto escalated his attack on the TBN leadership after his firing, posting what he calls a video “smackdown” on YouTube.

So tell us … Which side do you think is right here? 

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