I’m feeling bad for Bill Campbell right now. I wouldn’t have been able to pick him out of a lineup, but I found him to be a total professional in my limited contact with him during his eight years as communications director for the city of Jonesboro.
After Mayor Harold Copenhaver’s recent State of the City address on March 6, Campbell — apparently in play — gave the one-finger salute with both hands while posing for photos with the mayor and a couple of other gentlemen. The moment was captured by a photographer from KAIT, Channel 8, and made its way to another station employee’s social media account. From there it went as viral as news can in Jonesboro.
A City Council member demanded that Campbell be fired on the spot. Instead he was placed on administrative leave. By the end of the day on March 8, KAIT was reporting that Campbell had resigned. “I am pained by the embarrassment I have caused you, as well as the good name of the City of Jonesboro,” he wrote in a resignation letter, citing “the situation I alone have put you all in.”
Obviously, Campbell made a poor decision to be playful in that particular way in that particular setting. I’m not sure what setting would be appropriate, but I’ve been assured that what I consider far more offensive (and incriminating) communication is acceptable in men’s locker rooms and similar places, even when wearing a microphone. And I’ve heard the foulest kind of language in public settings from members of Congress who are supposedly the most “conservative,” whatever that word means in 2024.
So I don’t agree that — absent any other performance issues that I don’t know about — this was a firing offense or required resignation. It was a mistake that I’m pretty sure Campbell would never make again. I’m sorry to see him go.
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Speaking of personnel issues, I hope you settled back to read last week’s breathtaking story of the $3.57 million judgment that the founder of a Bentonville pediatric therapy clinic, Anthony Christopher, won against a former employee, LaDonna Humphrey, who made anonymous accusations and then destroyed the evidence. At least that’s what the judge concluded.
Anyone in a position to hire really needs to read that story. There are a number of management lessons to be learned, starting with not hiring just because someone has a sad story.
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Pro tip: If you are going to pretend your phone was stolen so that you don’t have to hand it over in discovery after being sued, don’t put its SIM card in your new phone. Not even just long enough to copy your contacts. Your digital life lasts forever, as I’m sure Bill Campbell is living to regret.
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