TOPEKA, Kan. – Kansas Governor Sam Brownback says that his staff overreacted to a teen’s Twitter message disparaging him, and he apologizes for how his office handled the issue, which has gathered national attention as well as a great deal of ridicule for the first-term GOP governor.
The apology comes after officials with the Shawnee Mission School District said that Shawnee Mission East senior Emma Sullivan, 18, will not be forced to write an apology for the offending tweet.
Sullivan had refused to apologize after she wrote the offending Twitter message while she was taking part in a Youth in Government program at the state capitol in Topeka last week.
In fact, she didn’t actually say that to Brownback, and says that she was just joking with friends. But officials with the governor’s office saw the Twitter post, weren’t amused and contacted the Youth in Government program, who contacted SME principal Karl Krawitz, who in turn lectured Sullivan and demanded that she write an apology to the governor – even including talking points that he wanted included in the apology letter.
Sullivan told the Associated Press that she doesn’t intend to apologize.
“I would do it again,” she said, saying that she hopes the situation will lead to a dialogue about free speech in social media. Since the controversy began, her following on Twitter has grown from about 65 people to over 3,000.
In a statement posted to Facebook on Monday, Brownback said, “My staff over-reacted to this tweet, and for that I apologize. Freedom of speech is among our most treasured freedoms.”
Brownback then thanked educators, “who remind us daily of our liberties, as well as the values of civility and decorum.”
In a statement released on Monday morning, the district said, “District officials have reviewed recent events surrounding the reported tweet by Shawnee Mission East High School student Emma Sullivan. The district acknowledges a student’s right to freedom of speech and expression is constitutionally protected.”
“The district has not censored Miss Sullivan nor infringed upon her freedom of speech. She is not required to write a letter of apology to the Governor. Whether and to whom any apologies are issued will be left to the individuals involved,” said the district in a statement, adding that there were “many teachable moments” concerning the use of social media, and that the district doesn’t intend to take any further action on the matter.
Sulivan says that she disagrees with Brownback politically, pointing out his decision to eliminate the Kansas Arts Program in particular. She says that she has not heard directly from Brownback or his staff.
Sullivan’s mother, Julie Sullivan, says that she wishes her daughter would have used different language, but supports her stand on free speech.
“She wasn’t speaking to the 3,000 followers she has now,” Julie Sullivan told the Associated Press. “She was talking to 65 friends. And also it’s the speech they use today. It’s more attention grabbing. I raised my kids to be independent, to be strong, to be free thinkers. If she wants to tweet her opinion about Gov. Brownback, I say for her to go for it and I stand totally behind her.”
On Twitter, the hash tag #heblowsalot has become a gathering point for people who have been ridiculing the the former U.S. Senator’s perceived thin-skin over his reaction to a tweet from a high school student.
Twitter user Natasha Chart tweeted, “how did that conversation even go? ‘this is gov brownback’s office. i’d like to report a teasing.'”
Another Twitter user, Corey Rees, praised Sullivan for sticking up to the governor, saying “way to stick up for yourself, and your rights.”
