Vianne Timmons, president of Memorial University of Newfoundland, has been placed on paid leave over questions about her Native American heritage claims.
Call from Elizabeth Warren!
Timmons apparently claimed to be a descendant of the Mi’kmaq Indians, but the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation dug a bit and the story started to turn into a scandal.
City hall reports:
University president on paid leave after claiming his indigenous identity
The president of Memorial University of Newfoundland has taken paid leave after being caught up in a scandal surrounding her claims to her Indigenous heritage.
President Vianne Timmons’ paid leave from the university came after a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) report questioned claims that Timmons was of Native American descent. The report was “prompted by issues raised by individuals, including those in Indigenous communities, across Canada,” it says. Specifically, the article explored whether Timmons’ Aboriginal identity opened doors for him professionally. In the article, she claimed it never was.
Following the publication of the article questioning her legacy, Timmons released a statement in which she apologized and said she would temporarily step back from her role at the university.
“Although I have shared that I am not Mi’kmaq and do not claim an Indigenous identity, questions about my intentions to identify my Indigenous ancestry and whether I have benefited from sharing my understanding of my family’s story have sparked important conversations about and beyond. our campus,” Timmons wrote in a statement released this week. “I have reflected on these comments from the Indigenous community and sincerely regret any hurt or confusion that sharing my story may have caused. This was never my intention and I deeply apologize to those I have touched.
Why does this happen so frequently?
Memorial University President Vianne Timmons is now on voluntary paid leave after sparking controversy over her claim that she has Indigenous heritage. https://t.co/b0UzUhe8PM
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) March 15, 2023
For @GuardianI wrote about Vianne Timmons who resigned due to questions regarding her claims that she has Indigenous heritage.
There have been several recent cases at universities involving alleged fraud by faculty. https://t.co/v3LY7085JN
— Olivia Rania Bowden (@OliviaBowden__) March 15, 2023
People who make these claims almost always seem to be relying on something a family member once told them.
It’s just not good enough.