County To Discipline Two For Sending Disparaging e-Mail
From the Californian.com

The wide distribution of a cartoon disparaging undocumented Mexican immigrants on Monterey County's internal e-mail system will result in disciplinary action against two county workers.

County officials Friday were deciding on the degree of discipline against the employees after wrapping up an investigation into the e-mail incident.

"We don't know yet what it's going to be," said Virgil Schwab, director of the county Information Technology Department. Discipline could range from an oral reprimand to firing, he said.

On Monday, the image of a bogus "Mexifornia" driver's license bearing a photo of a stereotypical, sombrero-wearing bandit, was transmitted to about 3,200 county employees' computers.

The e-mailed cartoon, which contained crude-humored information about the "license"-holder, came from the radio shop in the Information Technology Department. Schwab immediately apologized and said the incident violated county anti-discrimination and e-mail policies.

"It's not an accident. It was an intentional act," Schwab said. "Everyone knew what they were doing and recognized they made some serious errors in judgment."

Aurelio Salazar Jr., president of the Salinas council of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said he received one call from a county employee upset about the incident. He said the county should take the matter seriously.

"It is very upsetting people find some level of humor behind this issue," Salazar said. "Latinos, especially Mexicans, are not a group that should be made fun of, at any level."

Beginning next week, Schwab said radio-shop employees will receive special training on sensitivity, county-workplace rules and team-building.

"It will be a major investment, but we can accommodate the expenditure," he said.

A radio-shop supervisor sent the e-mail to three other workers in mid-September, Schwab said. Six weeks later, another employee, who had received a "blind copy" of the cartoon, e-mailed it throughout the county system, he said.