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⚫ <!-- ] -->
{{orphan|date=February 2010}}
{{infobox person

|name=Ellen Simonetti
⚫ <!-- ] -->
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1974|12|15}}
]
|birth_place=], U.S.

|education=] (])
⚫ '''Ellen Simonetti''' (b. December 15, 1974, ]) is a former ] who was fired after documenting her life and work experiences on a ] in the early 2000s. Although Simonetti never mentioned the ] by name, her employer ], deeming some of the blog content inappropriate, suspended and then fired her.
|occupation=Flight attendant (former)
⚫ }}
⚫ '''Ellen Simonetti''' (born December 15, 1974, ]) is an American former ] who was fired after documenting her life and work experiences on a ] in the early 2000s.


== Early life and airline career == == Early life and airline career ==
Ellen Simonetti, one of three siblings, was raised in ] and ], ]. She spent a year in ] as a high school ], later dropping out of ] to become first a ] and then a flight attendant. She was first employed in the flight industry in 1996 with a ] based in ]. Simonetti, one of three siblings, was raised in ] and ], ]. She spent a year in ] as a high school ], later dropping out of ] to become first a ] and then a flight attendant. She was first employed in the flight industry in 1996 with a ] based in ].


After the charter went out of business, Simonetti was hired by ]. During her eight years with Delta, she flew ], ], and ] routes with the airline and completed her ] degree in ] at the ]. After the charter went out of business, Simonetti was hired by ]. During her eight years with Delta, she flew ], ], and ] routes with the airline and completed her ] degree in ] at the ].


==Blog and dismissal== ==Blog and dismissal==
Ellen Simonetti began her "Queen of Sky: Diary of a Dysfunctional Flight Attendant" blog in September 2003 as a form of therapy after the loss of her mother to ].<ref name="EllenSimonetti"/> In addition to describing events of her life, Simonetti also described travel abroad, mainly Europe and South America, while working for Delta Air Lines. Simonetti adopted the ] "Queen of Sky" for her blog. With practical information on worldwide travel described in a quirky, irreverent tone, the blog developed a considerable following. Simonetti began her "Queen of Sky: Diary of a Dysfunctional Flight Attendant" blog in September 2003 as a form of therapy after the loss of her mother to ].<ref name="EllenSimonetti"/> In addition to describing events of her life, Simonetti also described travel abroad, mainly Europe and South America, while working for Delta Air Lines. Simonetti adopted the ] "Queen of Sky" for her blog. With practical information on worldwide travel described in a quirky, irreverent tone, the blog developed a considerable following.


In late 2004, Simonetti was suspended<ref name="Grounded"/> and then fired<ref name="Fired"/> after Delta Air Lines objected to Ellen posing for photographs on a company airplane and commentary on her blog.<ref name="Register"/> Simonetti subsequently renamed her blog "Diary of a Fired Flight Attendant." In late 2004, Simonetti was suspended<ref name="Grounded"/> and then fired<ref name="Fired"/> after Delta Air Lines objected to Ellen posing for photographs on a company airplane and commentary on her blog.<ref name="Register"/> Simonetti subsequently renamed her blog "Diary of a Fired Flight Attendant." Although Simonetti never mentioned Delta Airlines by name, the photos of her in uniform and the cabin clearly indicated the airline that she worked for. In addition, some of the photos on her blog were deemed "inappropriate", including one photo where she was stretched across seat headrests with her skirt "somewhat hiked", and another where her Delta uniform blouse was partly unbuttoned to reveal a glimpse of her bra.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna9259944|title=Delta employee fired over blog sues airline|website=]}}</ref>


==Employers and bloggers== ==Employers and bloggers==
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# the penalty for a first offense should be a formal warning rather than dismissal. # the penalty for a first offense should be a formal warning rather than dismissal.


Other individuals who have been fired for content in their personal blogs include ], ], ],<ref name="CNN"/> ], and ], ] Special Representative for ], who was given three days notice to leave Sudan after the Sudanese army demanded his deportation for comments in his weblog.<ref name="PronkBBC"/><ref name="PronkCNN"/> Other individuals who have been fired for content in their personal blogs include ], ], ],<ref name="CNN"/> Christine Axsmith, and ], ] Special Representative for ], who was given three days notice to leave Sudan after the Sudanese army demanded his deportation for comments in his weblog.<ref name="PronkBBC"/><ref name="PronkCNN"/>


==Aftermath== ==Aftermath==
In 2005, Simonetti filed a ] against Delta (Simonetti v. Delta Air Lines Inc., No. 5-cv-2321 (N.D. Ga. 2005)), alleging ] and ], among other things.<ref name="USAToday"/><ref name="ProofOfClaim"/> In 2005, Simonetti filed a ] against Delta (Simonetti v. Delta Air Lines Inc., No. 5-cv-2321 (N.D. Ga. 2005)), alleging, inter alia, ] and ].<ref name="USAToday"/><ref name="ProofOfClaim"/> After much media attention and legal maneuvering between sides, the case was eventually settled out of court for an undisclosed sum. (Simonetti, though prohibited from disclosing the amount of her settlement, stated that it would be enough for her to attend culinary school, which she stated in her book ran to about $40,000.)


Simonetti has discussed personal blogging rights on '']''<ref name="Montel"/> and the ] show.<ref name="Elder"/> She set up a Bloggers Rights petition<ref name="Petition"/> and was a founding member of the Committee to Protect Bloggers.<ref name="Petition"/> Simonetti has discussed personal blogging rights on '']''<ref name="Montel"/> and the ] show.<ref name="Elder"/> She set up a Bloggers Rights petition<ref name="Petition"/> and was a founding member of the Committee to Protect Bloggers.<ref name="Petition"/>
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On her website she says that although she has kept her real estate licence, she is not using this and has "...gone back to school at the University of Texas (undergrad), where I'm currently a journalism major, but soon to be an RTF (radio/TV/film) major". On her website she says that although she has kept her real estate licence, she is not using this and has "...gone back to school at the University of Texas (undergrad), where I'm currently a journalism major, but soon to be an RTF (radio/TV/film) major".
Recently on her blog she claims that a film company is to make a film about her life and she has agreed to this. On her blog, she claimed that a film company is to make a film about her life and she has agreed to this.


In December 2008, the host of her blog, Journalspace, lost all their database data effectively ending the blog. No backup of Journalspace's contents exists.<ref name="Journalspace"/> Simonetti now has a new blog entitled ''The Queen of the Screen''.<ref name="Blogspot"/> In December 2008, the host of her blog, Journalspace, lost all their database data effectively ending the blog. No backup of Journalspace's contents exists.<ref name="Journalspace">{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Simonetti then had a new blog entitled ''The Queen of the Screen''.<ref name="Blogspot">{{Cite web |url=http://queenofscreen.blogspot.com/ |title=The Queen of Screen Blog |access-date=2008-12-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101230232408/http://queenofscreen.blogspot.com/ |archive-date=2010-12-30 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


== References == == References ==
{{reflist|refs= {{reflist|refs=


<ref name="EllenSimonetti">{{cite news |url= http://news.com.com/I+was+fired+for+blogging/2010-1030_3-5490836.html |title= I was fired for blogging |work= CNET News |date= December 16, 2004 |author= Ellen Simonetti |accessdate= 2007-03-19}}</ref> <ref name="EllenSimonetti">{{cite news |url= http://news.cnet.com/I+was+fired+for+blogging/2010-1030_3-5490836.html |title= I was fired for blogging |work= CNET News |date= December 16, 2004 |author= Ellen Simonetti |access-date= 2007-03-19}}</ref>


<ref name="Grounded">{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3955913.stm |author= Jo Twist |title= Blogger grounded by her airline |work= BBC News |date= 2004-10-27 |accessdate= 2006-06-29}}</ref> <ref name="Grounded">{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3955913.stm |author= Jo Twist |title= Blogger grounded by her airline |work= BBC News |date= 2004-10-27 |access-date= 2006-06-29}}</ref>


<ref name="Fired">{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3974081 |author= Jo Twist |title= US Blogger Fired by her Airline |work= BBC News |date= 2004-11-03 |accessdate= 2006-06-29 }} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> <ref name="Fired">{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3974081 |author= Jo Twist |title= US Blogger Fired by her Airline |work= BBC News |date= 2004-11-03 |access-date= 2006-06-29 }} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>


<ref name="Register">{{cite news |url= http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/03/airline_blogger_sacked/ |title= Queen of the Sky gets marching orders |work= ] |date=2004-11-03 |accessdate= 2006-06-23 }}</ref> <ref name="Register">{{cite news |url= https://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/03/airline_blogger_sacked/ |title= Queen of the Sky gets marching orders |work= ] |date=2004-11-03 |access-date= 2006-06-23 }}</ref>


<ref name="USAToday">{{cite news |url= http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2005-09-08-delta-blog_x.htm |title= Delta employee fired for blogging sues airline |work= ] |date= 2005-09-08 |accessdate= 2006-06-29 }}</ref> <ref name="USAToday">{{cite news |url= https://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2005-09-08-delta-blog_x.htm |title= Delta employee fired for blogging sues airline |work= ] |date= 2005-09-08 |access-date= 2006-06-29 }}</ref>


<ref name="Scotsman">{{cite news |url= http://business.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1055262006 |author= Jane Fraser |title= Blogging policy is everyone's business |work= ] |date= 2006-07-20 |accessdate= 2007-03-14 }}</ref> <ref name="Scotsman">{{cite news |url= http://business.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1055262006 |author= Jane Fraser |title= Blogging policy is everyone's business |work= ] |date= 2006-07-20 |access-date= 2007-03-14 }}</ref>


<ref name="CNN">{{cite news |url= http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/07/19/france.blog/index.html?section=cnn_tech |title= Bridget Jones Blogger Fire Fury |work= ] |date= 2006-07-19 |accessdate= 2007-03-27}}</ref> <ref name="CNN">{{cite news |url= http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/07/19/france.blog/index.html?section=cnn_tech |title= Bridget Jones Blogger Fire Fury |work= ] |date= 2006-07-19 |access-date= 2007-03-27}}</ref>


<ref name="PronkBBC">{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6069188.stm |title= Expel UN envoy, Sudan army says |work= ] |date= 20 October 2006 |accessdate= 2007-03-26}}</ref> <ref name="PronkBBC">{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6069188.stm |title= Expel UN envoy, Sudan army says |work= ] |date= 20 October 2006 |access-date= 2007-03-26}}</ref>


<ref name="PronkCNN">{{cite news |url= http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/10/22/sudan.darfur.un/index.html |title= Sudan expels U.N. envoy for blog |work= ] |date= 2006-10-22 |accessdate= 2007-03-14}}</ref> <ref name="PronkCNN">{{cite news |url= http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/10/22/sudan.darfur.un/index.html |title= Sudan expels U.N. envoy for blog |work= ] |date= 2006-10-22 |access-date= 2007-03-14}}</ref>


<ref name="ProofOfClaim"></ref> <ref name="ProofOfClaim">{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>


<ref name="Montel">{{cite web |url= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYDPUaxtb4E |title= Ellen Simonetti: Montel Appearance |work= ] }}</ref> <ref name="Montel">{{cite web |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYDPUaxtb4E |title= Ellen Simonetti: Montel Appearance |work= ] }}{{cbignore}}{{Dead Youtube links|date=February 2022}}</ref>


<ref name="Elder">{{cite web |url= http://queenofsky.journalspace.com/?cmd=displaycomments&dcid=593&entryid=593 |title = Ellen Simonetti : Queen of the Sky Entry On Elder Show}}</ref> <ref name="Elder">{{cite web |url= http://queenofsky.journalspace.com/?cmd=displaycomments&dcid=593&entryid=593 |title= Ellen Simonetti : Queen of the Sky Entry On Elder Show |access-date= 2007-03-08 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110713121714/http://queenofsky.journalspace.com/?cmd=displaycomments&dcid=593&entryid=593 |archive-date= 2011-07-13 |url-status= dead }}</ref>


<ref name="Petition">{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4278241.stm |title= Global blogger action day called |work= ] |date= 22 February 2005 |author= Jo Twist }}</ref> <ref name="Petition">{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4278241.stm |title= Global blogger action day called |work= ] |date= 22 February 2005 |author= Jo Twist }}</ref>
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<ref name="FrequentFlierNYT">{{cite news |url= http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00F14FD3B550C7A8DDDA00894DE404482 |title = Abstract: Frequent Flier: A Flight Attendants Revenge |author= Ellen Simonetti |work=The New York Times |date=September 19, 2006 }}</ref> <ref name="FrequentFlierNYT">{{cite news |url= http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00F14FD3B550C7A8DDDA00894DE404482 |title = Abstract: Frequent Flier: A Flight Attendants Revenge |author= Ellen Simonetti |work=The New York Times |date=September 19, 2006 }}</ref>


<ref name="Book">{{cite book |last=Simonetti |first=Ellen |title= Diary of a Dysfunctional Flight Attendant: The Queen of Sky Blog |year= 2006 |publisher= Blog-based books |location= ] |isbn= 0-977-48380-0, ISBN 978-0-97748-380-8 }}</ref> <ref name="Book">{{cite book |last=Simonetti |first=Ellen |title= Diary of a Dysfunctional Flight Attendant: The Queen of Sky Blog |year= 2006 |publisher= Blog-based books |location= ] |isbn= 978-0-9774838-0-8}}</ref>


<ref name="RealEstate">{{cite web |url= http://queenofrealty.com |title= The Austin Relocation Blog |author= Ellen Simonetti }}</ref> <ref name="RealEstate">{{cite web |url= http://queenofrealty.com |title= The Austin Relocation Blog |author= Ellen Simonetti |access-date= 2019-08-06 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180806233218/http://queenofrealty.com/ |archive-date= 2018-08-06 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

<ref name="Journalspace"></ref>

<ref name="Blogspot">http://queenofscreen.blogspot.com/</ref>


}} }}
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==External links== ==External links==
* Jason Boog, '']'', April 5, 2005. * Jason Boog, '']'', April 5, 2005.
* ] corporate blogging for a 2005 ] conference. * ] corporate blogging for a 2005 ] conference.
* ] for company-hosted * ] for company-hosted
* ] * ]
* *


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see ]. -->
| NAME = Simonetti, Ellen
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
| DATE OF BIRTH = 1974-12-15
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
⚫ }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simonetti, Ellen}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Simonetti, Ellen}}
] ]
⚫ ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
⚫ ]

Latest revision as of 17:40, 3 August 2024

Ellen Simonetti
Born (1974-12-15) December 15, 1974 (age 50)
North Carolina, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Texas at Austin (BA)
OccupationFlight attendant (former)

Ellen Simonetti (born December 15, 1974, North Carolina) is an American former flight attendant who was fired after documenting her life and work experiences on a blog in the early 2000s.

Early life and airline career

Simonetti, one of three siblings, was raised in Durham and Raleigh, North Carolina. She spent a year in Bern, Switzerland as a high school exchange student, later dropping out of high school to become first a travel agent and then a flight attendant. She was first employed in the flight industry in 1996 with a charter airline based in Miami, Florida.

After the charter went out of business, Simonetti was hired by Delta Air Lines. During her eight years with Delta, she flew German, Spanish, and Italian routes with the airline and completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish at the University of Texas at Austin.

Blog and dismissal

Simonetti began her "Queen of Sky: Diary of a Dysfunctional Flight Attendant" blog in September 2003 as a form of therapy after the loss of her mother to cancer. In addition to describing events of her life, Simonetti also described travel abroad, mainly Europe and South America, while working for Delta Air Lines. Simonetti adopted the pen name "Queen of Sky" for her blog. With practical information on worldwide travel described in a quirky, irreverent tone, the blog developed a considerable following.

In late 2004, Simonetti was suspended and then fired after Delta Air Lines objected to Ellen posing for photographs on a company airplane and commentary on her blog. Simonetti subsequently renamed her blog "Diary of a Fired Flight Attendant." Although Simonetti never mentioned Delta Airlines by name, the photos of her in uniform and the cabin clearly indicated the airline that she worked for. In addition, some of the photos on her blog were deemed "inappropriate", including one photo where she was stretched across seat headrests with her skirt "somewhat hiked", and another where her Delta uniform blouse was partly unbuttoned to reveal a glimpse of her bra.

Employers and bloggers

These events became emblematic of the issue of employees' rights to communicate their own views of their work and workplace versus employers' rights to restrict them. There was considerable media coverage of Simonetti's firing and the freedom of expression issues involved.

Simonetti advocates that:

  1. employers should have clear, unambiguous blogging policies so that employees can foresee the potential for disciplinary action, and
  2. the penalty for a first offense should be a formal warning rather than dismissal.

Other individuals who have been fired for content in their personal blogs include Heather Armstrong, Jessica Cutler, Catherine Sanderson, Christine Axsmith, and Jan Pronk, United Nations Special Representative for Sudan, who was given three days notice to leave Sudan after the Sudanese army demanded his deportation for comments in his weblog.

Aftermath

In 2005, Simonetti filed a lawsuit against Delta (Simonetti v. Delta Air Lines Inc., No. 5-cv-2321 (N.D. Ga. 2005)), alleging, inter alia, sex discrimination and retaliation. After much media attention and legal maneuvering between sides, the case was eventually settled out of court for an undisclosed sum. (Simonetti, though prohibited from disclosing the amount of her settlement, stated that it would be enough for her to attend culinary school, which she stated in her book ran to about $40,000.)

Simonetti has discussed personal blogging rights on The Montel Williams Show and the Larry Elder show. She set up a Bloggers Rights petition and was a founding member of the Committee to Protect Bloggers.

Simonetti has written articles for the news media including The New York Times and CNET, adapted her blog to a published book, and has worked in real estate.

On her website she says that although she has kept her real estate licence, she is not using this and has "...gone back to school at the University of Texas (undergrad), where I'm currently a journalism major, but soon to be an RTF (radio/TV/film) major". On her blog, she claimed that a film company is to make a film about her life and she has agreed to this.

In December 2008, the host of her blog, Journalspace, lost all their database data effectively ending the blog. No backup of Journalspace's contents exists. Simonetti then had a new blog entitled The Queen of the Screen.

References

  1. ^ Ellen Simonetti (December 16, 2004). "I was fired for blogging". CNET News. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  2. ^ Jo Twist (2004-10-27). "Blogger grounded by her airline". BBC News. Retrieved 2006-06-29.
  3. ^ Jo Twist (2004-11-03). "US Blogger Fired by her Airline". BBC News. Retrieved 2006-06-29.
  4. "Queen of the Sky gets marching orders". The Register. 2004-11-03. Retrieved 2006-06-23.
  5. "Delta employee fired over blog sues airline". NBC News.
  6. ^ "Delta employee fired for blogging sues airline". USA Today. 2005-09-08. Retrieved 2006-06-29.
  7. Jane Fraser (2006-07-20). "Blogging policy is everyone's business". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2007-03-14.
  8. "Bridget Jones Blogger Fire Fury". CNN. 2006-07-19. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
  9. "Expel UN envoy, Sudan army says". BBC News. 20 October 2006. Retrieved 2007-03-26.
  10. "Sudan expels U.N. envoy for blog". CNN. 2006-10-22. Retrieved 2007-03-14.
  11. Proof of claim dated Aug 16, 2006
  12. "Ellen Simonetti: Montel Appearance". YouTube.
  13. "Ellen Simonetti : Queen of the Sky Entry On Elder Show". Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2007-03-08.
  14. ^ Jo Twist (22 February 2005). "Global blogger action day called". BBC News.
  15. Ellen Simonetti (September 19, 2006). "Abstract: Frequent Flier: A Flight Attendants Revenge". The New York Times.
  16. Simonetti, Ellen (2006). Diary of a Dysfunctional Flight Attendant: The Queen of Sky Blog. Austin, Texas: Blog-based books. ISBN 978-0-9774838-0-8.
  17. Ellen Simonetti. "The Austin Relocation Blog". Archived from the original on 2018-08-06. Retrieved 2019-08-06.
  18. Journalspace
  19. "The Queen of Screen Blog". Archived from the original on 2010-12-30. Retrieved 2008-12-23.

External links

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