In this article, we look at some of the most shocking drunk dismissals of the past year. This includes a marketing manager fired for a booze-fuelled rampage and a real-estate agent dismissed via a drunk late-night text from her boss.
You’ll also read about a Channel Nine exec fired for saying she would “still do” Jimmy Barnes, a tech executive sacked after getting drunk and sleeping in a sauna, and a teacher who got drunk in class and forced students to do the Macarena.
1. Marketing executive dismissed for ‘booze-soaked’ rampage
In December 2025, the marketing manager of a popular fitness app faced termination of employment for verbally abusing and attempting to assault staff at a San Francisco restaurant. Thirty-two-year-old Shireen Afkari’s antics would later go viral on TikTok. The trouble started when she and a male friend entered the upscale establishment around 9pm.
According to a bartender at the restaurant, the pair appeared heavily intoxicated upon arrival. Several staff suspected that they may have been under the influence of other substances as well. When the restaurant manager intervened and removed their cocktails to prevent further service, the situation rapidly deteriorated into what witnesses called a “booze-soaked rampage.”
Credit: Instagram
Dismissed for drunkenness. Marketing manager face-planted outside restaurant
Footage of the event shows Ms. Afkari filming the staff while taunting them. At various points in the clip, she can be heard mockingly shouting “ooooh” and repeatedly calling an employee a liar. As the staff attempted to manage the situation, Ms. Afkari reportedly took a swing at the employees and violently knocked a phone out of a bystander’s hand.
During the struggle, Ms. Afkari was heard screaming, “he’s f*cking harassing me,” directed at the bartender. The bartender then allegedly “body-slammed” Ms. Afkari, before the physical altercation spilled out onto the footpath. She grabbed the bartender’s hair and refused to let go. The bartender eventually freed himself by throwing Ms. Afkari’s phone down the street, forcing her to release her grip to retrieve it.
While chasing the device, Ms. Afkari tripped and face-planted on the pavement. Even after the fall, she reportedly continued the aggression. Ms. Afkari turned her anger toward her companion and yelled that he was not man enough for failing to engage further in the fight.
Credit: Instagram
Arrested and faced termination of employment
San Francisco Police arrived at the scene at approximately 9:41 pm and arrested Ms. Afkari for public drunkenness. She was subsequently transported to jail, but none of the restaurant staff chose to press charges for battery. However, Ms. Afkari was not freed from the professional repercussions of her antics.
Her employer, fitness giant Strava, which is headquartered in San Francisco, took swift action after the video garnered millions of views. In a public statement, the company noted they were aware of an employee who exhibited extremely concerning off-hours behavior. The statement emphasised that the company did not condone violence of any kind and that such actions do not reflect the standards expected of their team. By the following Monday, Strava confirmed Ms. Afkari’s termination of employment.
2. Boss drunk texts worker’s dismissal
In November 2025, a US real-estate agent went viral after sharing how she had been dismissed by a “drunk” text from her boss. Texas-based Kristin McCarely, a single mother of two, shared on TikTok that she received the text on a Saturday night at 10:36 pm. The message simply said: “Do not come in Monday. I’ve mage changes to the office. I have to let you go.”
The inclusion of the word “mage” instead of “made” was one of several indicators that led Ms. McCarley and her viewers to think it was a “drunk text.” The interaction did not end with the termination notice. Several hours later, just after 1 am on Sunday morning, the boss sent a second message. This time, it contained no text, only a screenshot of Ms. McCarley’s own Facebook post showing her and a friend smiling. McCarley shared these screenshots on TikTok with the caption: “Sometimes you just have to read your boss’s drunk text at 10:36pm on a Saturday night and move on.”
Ms. McCarley’s TikTok amassed millions of views, with the comments section filled with advice ranging from legal action to HR complaints. One of the most popular comments told her, “You about to get a Christmas blessing in the form of a lawsuit.” Others expressed shock at the timing, with one user writing, “What???? OMG! Getting fired over a drunk text. This can’t be legal.”
In August 2025, the executive procedure of channel Nine’s A Current Affair resigned following an internal backlash over remarks she made on social media. Amy McCarthy had published the posts during the Logie Awards earlier that month. While posts on her Facebook page jokingly referenced her intention to get “drunk” and “spam” her friends, it was a remark regarding Jimmy Barnes that saw Ms. McCarthy at risk of dismissal.
Following Barnes’ performance at the awards ceremony, she posted a photo of the singer with a caption that included the hashtag: “#wouldstilldohim.” The posts were subsequently leaked to media, triggering an internal investigation at Nine.
Credit: Facebook
Resigned amidst Nine’s workplace culture troubles
The following week, Ms. McCarthy emailed her colleagues, telling them that she had decided to step down as executive producer. She said that “I made a stupid mistake – one that was not meant to be hurtful or harmful in any way.” Ms. McCarthy said that her posts “brought unwanted and negative attention” to A Current Affair, adding that she was “very sorry.”
While Ms. McCarthy left the top job at the program, she did not leave the Nine network completely. She has since transitioned into a senior producing role within the Nine newsroom in Sydney. Her resignation came at a sensitive time for Nine Entertainment, which is navigating a period of intense cultural scrutiny following recent high-profile scandals. An internal review conducted in 2025 revealed that a significant percentage of staff had experienced or witnessed bullying, discrimination, or abuse of power within the organisation.
4. ADHD worker dismissed for drunk sauna sleepover wins discrimination claim
In May 2025, a high-flying executive of UK software firm Gitpod faced termination of employment for getting drunk on a work trip. Shannon Burns was earning £220,000 (~AU$442,000) as vice president of engineering, having been headhunted from Silicon Valley giant Slack. Her compensation package was even more lucrative than her base pay suggested, as she held equity that could have been worth more than £30 million.
However, her career at the company came to an abrupt end following a series of events during a corporate retreat in Austria. The incident that triggered her dismissal occurred during a team-building event where alcohol was consumed. On one particular night, Ms. Burns became intoxicated and realised she had lost her room keys. After failing to wake her roommate to get back into her room, she decided to sleep in the building’s sauna.
Blamed ADHD, ‘tech bro’ culture for dismissal
The repercussions started almost immediately. A senior executive sent her a message stating that she needed to “lead the team by example” and “stay in control.” Two months after this retreat, Ms. Burns was dismissed. Gitpod argued that her behavior had led to a “lack of professionalism” and a total erosion of their confidence in her ability to lead.
Ms. Burns later took her case to a UK employment tribunal, alleging disability and gender discrimination. She had been diagnosed with ADHD in 2015 and explained that the condition caused her a “great deal of forgetfulness.” This was a recurring issue for her, as she frequently lost items like her phone and keys.
The tribunal heard that in February 2023, she had even approached Gitpod’s head of HR to ask for an ADHD coach, explaining that she felt “deeply overwhelmed” by her responsibilities. Ms. Burns also attacked the company culture, describing it as “male dominated” and populated by “tech bros.” She claimed a male colleague was significantly more intoxicated than she was during the trip. However, she claimed that he faced no disciplinary action, whereas she was dismissed.
Forgetfulness down to ADHD, tribunal ruled
The tribunal ultimately dismissed the claim of gender discrimination. It concluded that Gitpod’s decision to fire her was based on her unprofessionalism rather than her sex. However, Ms. Burns succeeded in her claim for disability discrimination. The tribunal noted that her “impairments were exacerbated by…alcohol.” However, it accepted that the act of losing her keys was something arising from her disability.
The tribunal found that her forgetfulness, a core trait of her ADHD, was a primary reason she was locked out in the first place. Because the company cited the consequences of that forgetfulness as a reason for her firing, the dismissal was deemed discriminatory. Ms. Burns is now awaiting a hearing to determine her compensation.
5. Drunk teacher fired for calling students ‘little sh*ts,’ making them do Macarena
In July 2025, a Welsh teacher faced termination of employment and an indefinite ban from the profession after her “out of control” drunken behavior in a classroom. Alice Ashton had been dismissed by Ysgol Bro Caereinion in Welshpool, Wales in January 2024. In 2025, she faced Wales’ Education Workforce Council to decide her fate as a teacher.
Students testified that Ms. Ashton, who was teaching a health class on drug and alcohol awareness, smelled of alcohol. She was seen “swigging” from a water bottle full of orange liquid which “smelled of alcohol.” Her behavior quickly deteriorated, with one student describing how she became “quite animated and speaking with her hands” at the start of the lesson, in stark contrast to her usual “reserved and quiet” demeanor.
Credit: Facebook
Flipped off students, told them to do Macarena
The classroom descended into chaos as Ms. Ashton reportedly played music loudly from her laptop and told “the class to make the Macarena.” Another student told the Council that the lesson “spiralled out of control,” while another described the scene as “a mini rave with the music and the dancing.”
As Ms. Ashton allegedly finished her first bottle and started a second, her behavior grew increasingly agitated. She was accused of repeatedly swearing at the class, calling students “little sh*ts” and referring to two pupils as “b*tch.” At one point, she allegedly “put her middle finger” two to three inches from a student’s face while continuing to swear. Ms. Ashton also told a student to “sit the f**k down” and ordered another to leave the room, admonishing him “not to snitch.” Students said that Ms. Ashton “couldn’t stand up straight” and was “a bit wobbly.”
Drunken behaviour led to dismissal and ban from teaching
The Education Workforce Council viewed CCTV footage from the classroom, which corroborated the students’ accounts. It noted that it was clear from the footage that the music was not simply being played in the background. Rather, it was “very clear” that Ms. Ashton did not remain at the front of the class and had “invited pupils to dance.” During the Council hearing, it was revealed that Ms. Ashton had been convicted of drunk driving in September 2023. This was just four months prior to the classroom incident, with the teacher having tested three times above the legal limit.
Ms. Ashton did not attend the council hearing and reportedly showed no remorse for her actions. She informed the panel via email that she had moved to England and was no longer teaching. Despite her absence, the panel found the majority of the allegations proven, ruling her behavior to be “unacceptable professional conduct.”
The Council removed Ms. Ashton from the teaching register indefinitely, though she may reapply after two years.
We can help you lodge a Fair Work claim
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With more than 20 years’ experience, our team provides clear, practical advice and handles claims on your behalf, so you’re not left navigating the system alone. Make sure you act fast, however, as Fair Work claims must be lodged within 21 days of your dismissal. Contact us now on 1300 766 700 for a free and private consultation.
