A Manitoba MLA is being widely criticized over a tweet to a former teacher some are describing as inappropriate or sexual harassment.
On Thursday Steven Fletcher replied to a tweet a former teacher had sent to him regarding an article on assisted dying he wrote, published in the Economist.
“Thank you. It's nice to hear from you.,” read the tweet. “You were always my favourite teacher. Given 35 years have passed if I may tell you that you were also the hottest teacher. All the boys loved you in inappropriate ways.”
Hundreds of Twitter users have since replied and shared the tweet, criticizing it as being sexual harassment, shocking and creepy.
Some called on him to apologize.
Fletcher told CTV News he has had a longstanding relationship with the teacher and he was trying to express gratitude.
“As she was an important part of my public education and was an excellent teacher, I replied in a manner that I thought would be truthful,” he said.
Fletcher went on to say he had had a friendship with the teacher’s late mother, and had once admitted to the teacher’s mom “that I had a grade-school crush on my teacher.”
“The person who received the tweet has told me she is not offended and she is not concerned,” said Fletcher.
When asked about concerns that perhaps a tweet of that nature could contribute to a culture of harassment, an issue that’s been top of mind for the Pallister government in the wake of a scandal over alleged behaviour by former NDP MLA Stan Struthers and a recent report indicating high numbers of government staff have experienced harassment, Fletcher reiterated that he was speaking with a teacher he had a longstanding relationship with.
“The two are not connected,” he said. “The media make connections that do not exist.
“It is a fact that students, male or female, often a crush on their teacher.”
Fletcher said he did not expect the response the tweet received online, but is not apologizing.
“If the person the tweet was sent has no problem with it, and it’s a truthful tweet, then what is the problem,” he said.
CTV News reached out to the person the tweet was sent to, but has not heard back.
With files from CTV's Gabrielle Marchand
