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    Brownback apologizes to teen tweeter: ‘My staff over-reacted’

    Sullivan (Twitter)Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is apologizing to the teen who insulted him over Twitter last week.

    "My staff over-reacted to this tweet, and for that I apologize.  Freedom of speech is among our most treasured freedoms," Brownback said in a statement to Yahoo! News on Monday. Brownback Communications Manager Sherriene Sontag-Jones says the governor has no plans to personally reach out to the high school student.

    Sontag-Jones contacted Emma Sullivan's principal last week and said the 18-year-old had made an inappropriate comment about the governor over Twitter. The principal asked Sullivan to submit a written apology to the governor for her comment. Sullivan told Yahoo! News Sunday night that she would not apologize.

    She wrote "Just made mean comments at gov. brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot," to her 60 followers during Brownback's speech to high school students at the state Capitol. His staff found the comment while scouring social media sites for his name.

    "I enjoyed speaking to the more than 100 students who participated in the Youth in Government Program at the Kansas Capitol. They are our future," Brownback's statement continues. "I also want to thank the thousands of Kansas educators who remind us daily of our liberties, as well as the values of civility and decorum. Again, I apologize for our over-reaction."

     
    • bdmacg  •  5 mths ago
      Even Brownback recognizes that his Staff was coming off like George Orwells "1984", ie. a FASCIST government. Mow, who is going to teach that SCHOOL PRINCIPAL that he needs to apologize too!
      • Sonny 5 mths ago
        the school board should be in charge of that one!
      • Meeches Peaches 5 mths ago
        The Thought Police.
      • ken 5 mths ago
        What, why would anyone expect the principal to apologize?? If he is stupid enough to blatantly violate the First Amendment, he sure ain't intelligent enough to figure out he needs to apologize. And, an apology still leaves him and the dumb gov legally liable for violating it. Where is the ALCU hiding in all this?? Oh, that's right, they only file against big business and republicans.
    • Timothy E  •  Al Jizah, Egypt  •  5 mths ago
      Only wish the principal had more integrity. Taking orders like a mindless bureaucrat is not the way of a true professional.
      • Minette 5 mths ago
        If my child were in that school I'd be actively pursuing that principal's exit from the school system right now.
      • Harry 5 mths ago
        thank you Timothy you are so right about the principal
      • Whyputaname 5 mths ago
        Amen to that.....We know where the Principals priorities are at now.......
    • Jeannie  •  Doylestown, United States  •  5 mths ago
      The real question: How many tax dollars are spent paying for staff to "scour websites for his name"? Leave the kid alone. She's allowed to voice her opinion!
      • WYZ1 5 mths ago
        Bet you wouldn't be so liberal about it if you had been the subject of her tweet.
      • Jared 5 mths ago
        @ WYZ1 that doesn't even change anything. Irregardless of who the tweet is addressed to, the underyling principal of the issue doesn't change. Was the person right/wrong for voicing their opinion? The answer is no, well, at least not in this country. So next time your feeling snide... at least sound marginally educated in your retort.
      • ken 5 mths ago
        @wyz1--LIBERAL??? REALLY?? REALLY?? Even as a staunch, very conservitave Republican, I see nothing "liberal" about the denying the girl her 1st Amendent rights. Illeagal--oh yeah, but nort "liberal"!!
    • A Yahoo! User  •  5 mths ago
      What he should really do is fire Sherienne Jones-Sontag... the staffer who started this whole mess in the first place.
      • Jon 5 mths ago
        I agree. I work in politics and have seen just about everything. It's not that staff don't care about Constitutional rights, it's that they are often just young, inexperience, hyper-sensitive, hyper-combative, etc. And often times, it seems as a rule, and no offense to these people, press secretary people are just crazy. I don't want Ms. Jones-Sontag's job, but seriously, this was a bad decision on the part of a staffer.

        Man I am going to get blasted by a few folks that I know for this comment ;-)
      • QQ 5 mths ago
        And the school principal.
      • Minette 5 mths ago
        I agree, fire them both. Neither deserves a salary paid by the tax-payers.
    • Jim  •  Houston, United States  •  5 mths ago
      Your Kansas tax dollars at work. Tracking Twitter and Facebook comments so you can demand apologies for an opinion. Shall we look back at all the opinions Senator Brownback has had and demand apologies for those he may have hurt?
      • ruben 5 mths ago
        Ain't it the truth!
      • Smoking Joem 5 mths ago
        brownback = jackass
      • rayD8 5 mths ago
        Time for the principal to apologize for the "hour long upbraiding".
    • NoGMO  •  5 mths ago
      The sweet smell of DISSENT...... and a victory over conservative fascist ideals. Good job girl.
    • Mindy  •  Peoria, United States  •  5 mths ago
      I certainly hope that parents are outraged at the school principal as well. Demanding an apology about an opinion - I think people need a refresher course in what this country used to stand for. Stalin is dead Mr Principal we don't need his censorship and politics here!!
    • Kenneth  •  Charlotte, United States  •  5 mths ago
      Glad to see the gov strapped on a set of balls and did the right thing. Now find the staff member who thinks high school students do not have freedom of speech.
    • Speechless Donkey  •  Phoenix, United States  •  5 mths ago
      Your staff goes orwellian and it blows up in your face, who would have figured?
    • Caren  •  5 mths ago
      An 18 year old had to remind him of our liberties...really!! He only apologized when he was shown what an idiot he is. He doesn't belong in any elected position...he is what's wrong with this country...Hats off to ms Sullivan. She is what is right with America
    • Samiam  •  5 mths ago
      But did he stop "sucking"?
    • confused  •  Norfolk, United States  •  5 mths ago
      and here I thought freedom of speech was a constitutional right . well Gov. BLOWSALOT from Kansas , here is my 2 cents worth , " bite me " !!!!
    • MB  •  Wichita, United States  •  5 mths ago
      Interesting, there's not enough money to pay teachers, but there's enough money to pay people to putz around on the internet....
    • A Yahoo! User  •  Memphis, United States  •  5 mths ago
      Sending a strong message to the new voters of America, you can have an opinion and say what you want, as long as it agrees with your principal.
    • Seen it all  •  Beaufort, United States  •  5 mths ago
      I don't care if he did apologize. A full investigation should be made to determine if any laws were broken or any taxpayer resources were used to track down the student.

      We don't need government officials who retaliate against people who make non-threatening "disrespectful" remarks about public officials.
    • Charlie  •  Houston, United States  •  5 mths ago
      LOL. He was worried about 60 high schoolers so much that he showed the rest of the world.
    • Leenie  •  5 mths ago
      What is with all the hate for this girl? Freedom of Speech means we GET to say things that others don't necessarily agree with and not have to fear punishment. Since when did this man become a God that no one could speak ill towards? Do you think she's the only first or last person to do such a thing? And also, her comment wasn't even offensive, unless, of course, you're a thin-skinned idiot who can't let petty things go, which it seems most of you are. The only reason you all even know about it is because HIS staff blew it out of proportion, so why don't you take your misguided hate and direct it at *them*? Geez. Reading this board, makes me feel like I woke up in freakin' Iran.
    • Ron G  •  San Francisco, United States  •  5 mths ago
      David F - you sound like a typical Republican - yell and scream about your Constitutional rights but have absolutely no respect for, or even an understanding that other Americans also have Constitutional rights. The fact that free political speech is not even part of the comprehension of the Republican governor's staff untill somebody reminds them what their job is, is the real tragedy here. The other tragedy is totalitarians like yourself trying to convince America to submit to your totalitarianism.
    • twinkies  •  Minneapolis, United States  •  5 mths ago
      She's right. heblowsalot. Good for her for not backing down--it's a free country, last I checked. The principal should be ashcanned too. He's a stupid fool for asking her to write an apology, he should be congratulating her for identifying the gov as blowingalot. Where is his knowledge of the 1st amendment???
    • Carbon Copy  •  Olympia, United States  •  5 mths ago
      He only apologized after being bruised with floods of negative reactions and comments. He's now Gov. Sam Bruisedback.
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