Kansas Governor Sam Brownback will not be receiving an apology from Emma Sullivan, the 18 year high school student who was sent to the principal’s office after the governor’s staff found disparaging remarks about the Kansas Republican on her twitter account, reports POLITICO.
The tweet from Sullivan came during Brownback’s appearance at a Kansas Youth in Government event. The Shawnee Mission East H.S. senior tweeted the following, “Just made mean comments at gov brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot.” However, Sullivan never made those comments to Brownback.
Brownback’s staff, which monitors social media for tweets about the Kansas governor, found the tweet and immediately contacted the organizers of the event. “We monitor social media so we can see what Kansans are thinking and saying about the governor and his policies,” Brownback spokeswoman Sherriene Jones-Sontag said, reports The Wichita Eagle. “We just felt it was appropriate for the organizers to be aware … because of what was said in the tweet,” Jones-Sontag added.
“I’m mainly shocked that they would even see that tweet and be concerned about me,” Sullivan said, according to The Wichita Eagle. “I just honestly feel they’re making a lot bigger deal out of it than it actually was,” she posited.
Sullivan, a registered Democrat, also told the Kansas newspaper that she disagrees with Brownback’s policies, particularly his recent decision to eliminate state funding for arts programs.
The teenager’s twitter account (@emmakate988) has grown from 65 to over 8,000 followers since the incident.
“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! #goingstrong,” Sullivan tweeted Monday.
Brownback has not made any comments regarding Sullivan’s tweets.
