Facebook Causes Barrow Teacher's Firing

A former Barrow County teacher said Tuesday that she was fired because of pictures and comments posted on her personal Facebook page. Ashley Payne said she is now suing to get her job back.

School teacher Ashley Payne posted pictures of her summer trip to Europe and detailed fun excursions with friends on her Facebook page, never imagining it would one day put her job in jeopardy.

"I wasn't doing anything illegal, I wasn't doing anything provocative," said Payne.

Payne taught English at Apalachee High School in Winder.

Payne said she was blindsided in late August when the school principal called her into his office and told her a parent had complained about a photo from her trip where she had an alcoholic drink in her hand along with comments she posted on her Facebook page.

"I had no idea how a parent could've seen something like that on my page because I had everything set for private. I wasn't friends with any students. I didn't give access to any students or parents," said Payne.

Payne said the administrator threatened her with suspension then coerced her into signing a letter of resignation, telling her it was less detrimental to her career.

"He went so far as to recommend that resigning was the best option because it was a small town, I was from a small town, I know how these things can be, whatever that means, and maybe if it were just the language or just the pictures that would be one thing but with both there was no way I could win this," recalled Payne.

In a written statement Barrow county school officials said, "We make it a practice to not discuss personnel matters in public. We do this to protect not only the system, but also employees and non-employees."

Payne said she is suing to get her job back. Payne has since deactivated her Facebook account but insists she never posted anything inappropriate online. "Nothing that I thought would be unethical or immoral in any way," said Payne.