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UBC professor under fire for Remembrance Day tweet criticizing frat

A poppy is placed on the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier following a Remembrance Day ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Monday Nov. 11, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
A poppy is placed on the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier following a Remembrance Day ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Monday Nov. 11, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

A professor from the University of British Columbia is facing heat online for a Remembrance Day tweet that some deem to be disrespectful.

Economics professor Marina Adshade sent a tweet directed at UBC president Santa Ono, questioning why members of one of the university’s fraternity houses were laying wreaths as part of the school’s Remembrance Day ceremony. She asked why “more representative groups” weren’t included instead.

The tweet didn’t go over well with some students, who felt the timing and intention of it was disrespectful. Others felt she was being flippant towards a certain group of students.

Some pointed out that fraternity members were amongst those who served in World War II, including Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, who wrote the iconic poem "In Flanders Fields".

Despite the critical feedback, some of which was racist, sexist and derogatory in tone, Adshade hasn’t deleted the tweet.

In an e-mail to CTV News, Adshade doubled down on how she felt.

"I stand by what I said. UBC prides itself on being an inclusive and diverse campus. That was not reflected today by the student representation at the ceremony today. This is something that can, and should be addressed, in future years," she said. "The fraternities are antithetical to those ideals and should not be given a place of privileged at any UBC functions. I think that when wreaths laid by student organization they should be student organizations that are open and inclusive.”

The university has not commented.