Peter Kuitenbrouwer
National Post
August 23, 2013
Toronto Fire has removed from duty two firefighters the National Post named in connection with tweets that were unflattering toward women.
“They are not on duty,” Toronto Fire Chief Jim Sales confirmed Wednesday. “That is all I am prepared to say. I hope you understand why.”
On Aug. 10, the Post published tweets from accounts connected to two firefighters in Scarborough.
Last November, a tweet from the account of Matt Bowman, @ Hero_Matt, stated: “Reject a woman and she will never let it go. One of the many defects of their kind. Also weak arms.” A tweet in March from the same account read: “I’d never let a woman kick my ass. If she tried something I’d be like Hey! you get your bitch ass back in the kitchen and make me some pie!”
On June 5 a tweet from the account of Lawaun Edwards, @Bassfire3680, read: “@deansomerset would swat her in the back of the head been considered abuse or a way to reset the brain?”
The @Hero_Matt Twitter account has since disappeared from the Internet, while @Bassfire3680 is no longer public.
Frank Ramagnano, secretary-treasurer of the Toronto Professional Firefighters’ Association, called the situation “unfortunate,” noting: “Things people write can be taken out of context. I don’t think the tweets represent the kinds of individuals that those two members are.”