Memorial board issues executive statement, suspends board member for “profane, anti-police tweet”

Memorial University’s Board of Regents has issued an executive statement after a member of the board was found to have not complied with the Code of Conduct. Board member Kerri Claire Neil reportedly used profanity to respond to a tweet from the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary that pictured the Edmonton Police Service crest and a “thin blue line” symbol, which CTV News explains has been used as a sign of police solidarity and also criticized as a symbol of white supremacy. In response to the tweet, the board issued a letter of reprimand and a suspension for the remainder of Neil’s term. The letter stated that the comments reflected poorly on the university and were felt to be “flippant and insensitive to the deaths of two members of the Edmonton Police Department and their families.”