Four Women Fired for Gossiping

What happened in the town of Hooksett, N.H., is no rumor.

Four
town employees with 46 years of service between them were fired, in
part for gossiping and discussing rumors of an improper relationship
between the town administrator and another employee that Hooksett
residents now agree were not true.

The administrator complained,
and after an investigation the town council fired the women, finding,
"Gossip, whispering, and an unfriendly environment are causing poor
morale and interfering with the efficient performance of town business."
"When I was given my termination papers, I just looked at the gentlemen
that were present in the room and I said, 'You've got to be kidding!'"
said fired worker Sandy Piper, who insisted her comments weren't out of
line. "We discussed it on a lunch break, and then it ended."

"It kind of sort of was, 'Oh did you hear that too,'" said Michelle Bonsteel, Piper's fired co-worker.

Gossip
is ingrained in American culture, from the elementary school playground
to the office water cooler. But Tory Johnson, 'Good Morning America's'
workplace contributor, said people should be careful about what they
say when they're on the clock.

"Free speech only goes so far," Johnson said. "An employer definitely has the right to defend his reputation."

In
Hooksett the four firings are ironically now the talk of the town. But
for the women out of work, the controversy is not a matter of idle
chatter -- they want to get back to work.

"I did love my job. And do I want to return? Absolutely," Piper said.

Lawyers
for the Town Council of Hooksett told ABC News they have "no comment"
at this time, but there could be a decision this week on whether to
reinstate some or all of the women.