Man suspended from work after insensitive Fort McMurray tweet
Posted May 6, 2016 12:25 pm.
Last Updated May 6, 2016 12:28 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A man has been suspended from work and his salary will go toward relief for Fort McMurray after he posted a tweet on social media.
On Wednesday, Blake Siefken, who works for The Electric Playground, tweeted “I’m glad the #FortMacFire is happening in the province most responsible for the climate change that caused the fire in the first place.”
The tweet quickly drew fire from others on social media:
The tweet has since been deleted.
Siefken later apologized for the comment, tweeting “I am so sorry for my inappropriate #FortMacFire tweet earlier today. Although my intent wasn’t to insult, I did and it was wrong.”
The Electric Playground issued a statement on Facebook, announcing that Siefken had been suspended without pay. “We, as individuals and as an organization, do not share in our employee’s personal opinions, nor do we condone it and we are very sorry that he has chosen to express himself in such a manner,” the statement read. “Regardless of the intent of his message – which, we believe was truly poor judgment and a mistake – the blatant insensitivity he has shown towards all of the families affected by these awful fires did not sit well with any of us here at EP.”
Siefken wasn’t the only person whose posts about Fort McMurray on social media have drawn the wrath of the Internet. A Facebook post made by Chris Sowden also quickly went viral.
Rogers is giving free long distance/texting to Fort McMurray until May 17 and we are partnering with the Red Cross. If you would like to donate $10, text the word FIRES to 45678 or 30333 for a $5 donation.
