CBS fires Hayley Geftman-Gold over anti-Republican comments after Vegas shooting
CBS fired a company executive Monday after she criticized some victims of the Las Vegas mass shooting as “Republican gun toters” who did not deserve sympathy. Hayley Geftman-Gold, who was a vice president and senior legal counsel at CBS in New York, made headlines after she questioned on Facebook if the “Repugs” would ever take action and “do the right thing,” alluding to Sandy Hook.
“If they wouldn’t do anything when children were murdered I have no hope that Repugs will ever do the right thing,” wrote Geftman-Gold in an exchange with a New York photographer Erin Fagan Silber. “I’m actually not even sympathetic bc country music fans often are Republican gun toters.”
“Yeah … I was thinking that since this directly hits the country music population … maybe they will actually do something now,” wrote Silber. “But after Sandy Hook, Republicans reacted by wanting to arm teachers. So let’s see what today’s response is. I’m sure it will be just as pathetic.”
Her attorney, Carrie A. Goldberg, responded: “In the last few hours my client, her family and friends have been bombarded by online death unimaginable in quantity and detail. We beg people to show love and support to survivors and loved ones — in Las Vegas and their own lives — instead of creating more violence.”
She issued this apology: “Earlier today I posted an indefensible post in a Facebook discussion thread concerning the tragic Las Vegas shooting, a statement I sincerely regret. I am deeply sorry for diminishing the significance of every life affected by Stephen Paddock’s terrorism last night and for the pain my words have inflicted on the loved ones of the victims. My shameful comments do not reflect the beliefs of my former employer, colleagues, family, and friends. Nor do they reflect my actual beliefs — this senseless violence warrants the deepest empathy. I understand and accept all consequences that my words have incurred.”
A CBS spokeswoman told Fox News that Geftman-Gold, “who was with us for approximately one year, violated the standards of our company and is no longer an employee of CBS. Her views as expressed on social media are deeply unacceptable to all of us at CBS. Our hearts go out to the victims in Las Vegas and their families.”
Silber has removed her posts, Facebook presence, but some have taken notice: “Good Riddance Hayley! Now someone needs to make sure that your friend Erin Fagan Silber’s photography business suffers the same fate,” one poster wrote.