An independent Manitoba MLA is under fire on social media for a tweet he sent to a former teacher Thursday, telling her she was his “hottest” teacher, adding he and his classmates had “inappropriate” thoughts about her.
Assiniboia MLA Steven Fletcher sent the tweet Thursday just after lunch.
The response on social media was overwhelmingly negative.
Fletcher told 680CJOB’s Richard Cloutier that the teacher is someone he has known for a long time.
“I was continuing a long-standing awareness that existed between her mom and myself that yes, as a grade school student, in grade 7, grade 8, many of us boys…”
“You were hot for teacher?” asked Cloutier.
“Yes, and I was truthful about that. And it’s probably inappropriate to be fond of your teacher, but that is the way it goes.”
Fletcher said people are overreacting.
“What is the problem, is when people take tweets, and go overboard and make statements … and deflect from the actual issues of public policy.
“How much time have we spent on this today?”
When asked if he stands by the tweet, Fletcher said he’s sorry it “went public.”
“But I don’t apologize to the person I sent the tweet to because she has no problem with the tweet.”
LISTEN to the full interview:
-With files from Richard Cloutier