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A University of Mississippi employee learned the importance of school spirit this month after being reprimanded by an administrator for cheering on an opposing team during a home football game. The reprimand came in the form of a mass letter from the physical plant director to all his staff. According to an article in the Daily Mississippian, which first reported on the incident, "The letter states that while the university will never tell its employees whom they can or cannot cheer for, there is an expectation to support Ole Miss while on the clock.... [I]f employees cannot support Ole Miss, they shall 'remain neutral and without comment.' "
The comment in question was actually a tweet, sent while the employee was working the sidelines of the Oct. 19 game versus Louisiana State University. A Mississippi spokesman, Danny N. Blanton, said in an email to Inside Higher Ed that the message was in response to the employee's "game day responsibilities."
"We in no way try to influence who our employees support in their own time," Blanton said. "However, we will ask that when employees are on the clock that they are respectful of their employer and not disrupt the team or the fans. We also ask employees who are hired to do a specific job to do that job and not focus on social media."
Mississippi pulled a major upset over No. 11 LSU to win the game, 27-24.
