Top PR exec Justine Sacco under fire for sending racist tweet before flying to Africa

[SMKR]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/top-pr-exec-under-fire-for-sending-racist-tweet-before-flying-to-africa-9019644.html

A top PR exec has sparked outrage after she reportedly sent a racist tweet shortly before boarding a plane to Africa.

The tweet, sent from the account of Justine Sacco, read: “Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just kidding. I’m white!”

Ms Sacco is the director of corporate communications at IAC, a company which owns a number of popular websites including OKCupid, The Daily Beast, Vimeo and Tinder.

The Twitter account has since been deleted after having no activity for a number of hours, supposedly while she was on the flight.

In response to the furour, IAC has removed Ms Sacco’s details from its corporate website, but not commented on her employment status. Many Twitter users have called on the company to fire Ms Sacco following the comments.

“This is an outrageous, offensive comment that does not reflect the views and values of IAC,” the firm said in a statement on Friday.

“Unfortunately, the employee in question is unreachable on an international flight, but this is a very serious matter and we are taking appropriate action.”

By Friday evening the Twitter hashtag #HasJustineLandedYet was trending on the social media site, with many speculating what would happen when she realised the backlash she had received.

Many Twitter uses also pointed to the ironic fact that Ms Sacco works in public relations for an Internet company.

David Cohn wrote: “Is that tweet real? You work in PR. You shld know better RT @JustineSacco “Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just kidding. I'm white!””

While another commented: “@JustineSacco Let me know how fast it takes your white ass to get fired.”

The tweet isn’t the latest in a string controversial comments Ms Sacco has made on the site.

Hours before, she had called London the home of “cucumber sandwiches” and “bad teeth,” while she has previously tweeted “I like animals, but when it’s this cold out I’ll skin one myself for the fur” - at the animal rights group PETA.

In January Ms Sacco tweeted: “I can’t be fired for things I say while intoxicated right?”

[LaserSVT]

She sounds like she would be fun to hang out with. And have sex with!





People are, well, people. London is the home of bad teeth. Even they make fun of it. I like animals too but all my good cars had leather seats and I just bought a leather jacket.

[KBScobravert]

She needs to join here. We are all accepting. Then she can post the nudes.

[TexasT]

And it appears she is a fan of posting while drunk. Drunken nudz all around!

[ELVIS]

its almost like it now illegal to be a classless asshole. some of the family here is in big trouble!

god bless.

[Sean88gt]

It's also known (in Africa) that raping whites brings bad juju on the tribes - namely, keeping white $$ out of Africa.

[jyro]

some?

its almost like it now illegal to be a classless asshole. some of the family here is in big trouble!

I thought it was a prerequisite for joining

[03mustangdude]

She will get fired cuz that's the way society is nowadays.

[BLAKE]

She will get fired cuz that's the way society is nowadays.

So what you're saying is that you would prefer to live in a society that wouldn't press for her firing? A PR exec that can't control the flow of dumbass that she releases into the world.

That's like a gun range employee that repeatedly shoots himself but keeps his job.

[71chevellejohn]

She will get fired cuz that's the way society is nowadays.

The story I heard is she was fired before she landed. She just didn't know it yet.