Brownback apologizes after Twitter dust-up

Emma Sullivan

/ Emma Sullivan via Twitter

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback apologized on Monday for having "over-reacted" to 18-year-old Emma Sullivan, a high school student who had earlier been asked to apologize for making a disparaging remark about the conservative politician over Twitter.

"My staff over-reacted to this tweet and for that I apologize," Brownback said in a written statement, "freedom of speech is among our most treasured freedoms."

Sullivan, who was present at a Brownback speech for a Youth in Government event, wrote on Twitter last week that she "just made mean comments at gov brownback and told him he sucked, in person." (In her Tweet, Sullivan used the hashtag #heblowsalot.)

After she posted the comment, Brownback's office, which monitors Tweets that mention the governor, contacted Youth in Government about the comment. School administrators sided with the governor and asked her to write the governor a letter of apology, Sullivan said, according to the Associated Press.

The high school senior, who has said that the Tweet was a joke and that she did not actually make the comment referenced on her Twitter account, refused to apologize.

"I've decided not to write the letter but I hope this opens the door for average citizens to voice their opinion & to be heard!" she wrote on Twitter Sunday.

The school district denied it tried to curb the teen's right to free speech and said that she didn't have to apologize.

"The district acknowledges a student's right to freedom of speech and expression is constitutionally protected," the Shawnee Mission School District said in a written statement sent to CBS News Political Hotsheet. "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."

The district added that the issue had resulted in "many teachable moments concerning the use of social media."

Sullivan's Twitter following has grown exponentially since her older sister went to the press with the story of the social media dust-up - she now has more than 10,000 followers - and according to the AP, she thinks the incident has helped to "open up dialogue" about free speech.

"I would do it again," she told the AP.

[GordonBombay]

wow slow down brownback, you keep back pedaling that fast your chain will fall off.

[longtree-2009]

18 y/o. isn't that legally an adult even in kansas? that aside, she broke no laws although she could have used other words to communicate her feelings, her thoughts. there is no rude police, no ethics police, no morals police, no pc police, no policing of anything unless it goes against standing law.

[cockroachcrusher]

Republican/Conservative/madhatter Brownback wuz Browbeaten by an 18-year-old. Gotta' love it.

[cockroachcrusher]

"My staff over-reacted to this tweet and for that I apologize," Brownback said in a written statement...

Just like a Republican/Conservative/madhatter, the Blame Game. Don't Repub/Cons ever take responsibility for anything (like the economic mess we're in today)?

[Truth_Tracker]

What this girl tweeted is vile, despicable, unconscionable, reprehensible, insufferable, dastardly, appalling, dreadful, contemptible, wicked, shameful, loathsome, disgraceful . . . and PROBABLY TRUE.

In fact, the truth of it is what makes it so vile, despicable, unconscionable . . .

Sometimes, like this time, 'civility and decorum' means toning down the rhetoric until the statement is no longer TRUE, is no longer 'visible' and its author no longer agrees with it. With all this lopsided focus on the 'civility and decorum' issue, maybe someone in the media or at CNN could expend a little investigative shoeleather and try to find out WHY this Republican governor sucks so badly that a polite, intelligent high school senior would feel the need to apprise him of this fact which he is obviously unaware of. It's called prioritizing "substance over form."

[gadfly65]

It's okay Sam - your party is determined to tear down the institution of government; they'll get around to throwing away its foundational document eventually.

[kansas1946]

You know what is sad. If this girl had tweeted this about President Obama and it hit the national media like this has, then the Republicans would want to run her for president. Of course, other that the little problem of age which the Republicans would immediately try to get changed in the constitution, she would probably be better that anyone they are looking at. And she would certainly be better that that other media sensation, Joe The Plummer. LOL I know that the idiots her in Kansas will probably re-elect this goofball. Sigh.

[notyrants]

Now that the corporate capitalist oligarchs see the economy tanked, the media that is controlled by them is taking a different tack than it would have a few years ago. The changing of public opinion. Most are sheep.

[bradoxn]

Too many Governors being TWITTERPATED these days!!!!!

[rnrstar]

What I want to know is who is footing the bill to monitor social media for Brownback's name to pop up? Is he spending state tax money to do this? If so, is this really something a governor should be doing as part of his official business?

[jxknowles]

Good point. I thought all these States were under such a budget crisis that they have to cut teachers, police and firemen? So they have money to hire people to monitor social media sites? Something sticks in the States of Kansas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and New Jersey.