Private employers may have grounds to fire an employee for attending a white supremacist rally or posting propaganda on social media, and not only because it makes the work environment awkward, lawyers said.

Knowingly retaining an employee with racist views puts the employer at a disadvantage if a discrimination lawsuit is filed against the company involving the employee, said labor and employment lawyer Fort Lauderdale office managing shareholder Tom Loffredo.

“That's not someone you want to have in a workplace,” Loffredo said. “If you get hit with a discrimination lawsuit, your position is going to be a lot more tenuous because you have knowingly allowed someone with white supremacist views to work in your workplace.”