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Local Green party officials respond to candidate's resignation

Riding officials say 'consequences for this one post are out of proportion to the offence and are detrimental to our democracy' and vow to have new candidate soon
2019-06-08 Erik Schomann
Erik Schomann resigned earlier today amid a scandal over a Facebook post from 2007 that some claimed suggested he was Islamophobic. Supplied photo

NEWS RELEASE
SIMCOE NORTH FEDERAL GREEN PARTY RIDING ASSOCIATION
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The following release was issued this evening in the wake of today's resignation amid a scandal related to a Facebook post from 2007. You can read that story here.

The Simcoe North Green Party Association is devasted to lose Erik Schomann as our candidate. Yes, his Facebook post was an offhanded inappropriate comment made more than 10 years ago, for which he accepts responsibility and has issued an apology.

His one post on social media is an anomaly he has never repeated. He has lived and worked in Muslim regions of several countries and has the respect and admiration of his Muslim students. We fully believe that he is not Islamophobic.

We, the members of the Simcoe North Federal Green Party executive feel that the consequences for this one post are out of proportion to the offence and are detrimental to our democracy. How will parties find candidates willing to subject themselves to the possibility of public humiliation?

We have lost an excellent candidate in Erik, who has worked tirelessly since May. We fully support Erik in his quest to redeem his personal and professional reputation.

We will have another excellent Simcoe North Green Party candidate in place soon.
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