Two women have been placed on unpaid leave from their jobs after a Facebook photo taken at Arlington National Cemetery angered thousands online and led to a petition for their resignation.
Lindsey Stone, of Plymouth, Mass., was on a work-paid trip to Arlington National Cemetery in October when she posed for the photo in question, CBS Boston reported. In the photo, Stone stands at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider next to a sign that reads “Silence and Respect,” giving the middle finger and pretending to yell. She then posted the picture to her Facebook page. The photo, which was taken by a co-worker of Stone’s, went viral as online users criticized Stone for her insensitivity, according to the station. Stone attempted to quash the outrage in a Facebook response.
“Whoa whoa whoa… wait,” she wrote on Oct. 20, according to Gawker. “This is just us, being the douchebags that we are, challenging authority in general. Much like the pic posted the night before, of me smoking right next to a no smoking sign. OBVIOUSLY we meant NO disrespect to people that serve or have served our country.”
