(Jennifer Johnson official candidate Facebook page)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

UPDATE: UCP LEADER SAYS JOHNSON WON'T BE IN CAUCUS

Lacombe-Ponoka UCP candidate espouses school litter box conspiracy; NDP calls for her ousting

May 17, 2023 | 12:06 PM

NOTE: This story contains details which may be offensive and/or triggering to readers

The Alberta NDP continue to call for the removal of a UCP candidate in Lacombe-Ponoka.

On Tuesday, the New Democrats released audio of UCP candidate Jennifer Johnson making remarks about education the NDP call extreme and disgusting.

In the recording, which the NDP says is from a Sept. 1, 2022 meeting of the Western Unity Group, Johnson identifies herself not by name, but as being trained in nursing, living in Bentley and as a former board director for the UCP.

The NDP claims the remarks were made at this event last Sept. 1. (Supplied)

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rdnewsNOW has listened to the entire recording, and reached out to Johnson for a phone interview.

In an emailed statement, the party says Johnson has already addressed this issue, redirecting to a southern Alberta NDP candidate’s recently uncovered remarks about oil.

Johnson herself did provide comment earlier Wednesday, saying, “The comments I made last year were based on what I saw parents’ experiencing in the United States and not about Alberta classrooms. Our situation in Alberta is quite different. For example: if parents are concerned about content in classrooms there is a process that can be followed with the school division and ultimately could go to the teaching profession commissioner if there was a serious issue. Our party has an immense amount of respect for our teachers and front-line workers that work daily to make every single student feel safe, included, and cared for in our schools.”

She also sent this to rdnewsNOW on Wednesday afternoon after our story was published:

Amongst her remarks, in the audio recording the NDP points out, Johnson states things like, “We’ve got pornography in the schools that is open to all of these kids.”

An unidentified man mentions school books depicting “adult activities” to which Johnson retorts, “Completely pornographic, hardcore, not soft porn, hardcore pornography in the elementary schools.”

UCP leader Danielle Smith dropped Torry Tanner, a Lethbridge candidate, earlier this spring for similar comments about pornography in schools.

Johnson continues, speaking on a conspiracy theory about litter boxes in Alberta schools for students who identify as cats.

Says Johnson in the recording: “We’ve got furries in the classroom, these kids who are identifying as cats, [and] the teacher puts a litter box in the classroom for them … girls saying ‘I’m not a boy anymore’ when they’re seven-years-old, and transitioning at 14-years-old and getting double mastectomies, and getting chemically sterilized when they can’t even go to a liquor store and buy a beer.”

A man on the audio then mentions Lindsay Thurber High School in Red Deer as one place he’s heard these litter boxes exist, and Johnson continues speaking.

A litany of Google search results categorize the litter box story as a myth or hoax.

After talking about furries, Johnson likens transgender students to, “more than a teaspoon of dog poop in the cookie batch.”

rdnewsNOW reached out to Red Deer Public Schools about the claim involving Thurber.

“The claim made regarding litter boxes at Lindsay Thurber is completely false. We do not, and never have had litter boxes in any of our schools,” says the division. “Our commitment is and always has been to ensure there is excellence in teaching and learning in every classroom, and that our schools are safe and welcoming places for all students and staff.”

Johnson then says in the audio, “We have got to get rid of sex education from the schools K-12,” clarifying that she believes sex ed should be left entirely in the hands of parents.

“The UCP’s conspiracy theory candidates put students and teachers at risk. Johnson’s actions have specifically attacked and slandered the teachers of Lindsay Thurber. Johnson must be removed as a candidate and the UCP must apologize,” said Jaelene Tweedle, Alberta NDP candidate for Red Deer-North.

“I call today [Tuesday] on Adriana LaGrange to publicly denounce Jennifer Johnson and call for her removal. Will she reject these conspiracy theories, or continue to stand with Johnson and support them? The constituents of Red Deer-North deserve to know.“

rdnewsNOW reached out to the campaign office for Adriana LaGrange, but were referred to the party, as noted.

Dave Dale, the NDP candidate running against Johnson, posted about the controversy on Facebook.

“Jennifer Johnson’s extreme, hateful and disparaging remarks against teachers, schools and students are beyond the pale,” he writes. “She insulted the hard-working families of Lacombe-Ponoka with her hurtful statements and deliberately spread hateful lies about Alberta teachers, including the disgusting smear that teachers are showing pornography to children.”

Johnson’s Alberta Party opponent, Myles Chykerda, also issued a response.

“The Lacombe I know and have been a part of since 1994 is full of caring and compassionate people. Once in a while I’ve seen some truly disgusting behaviour, such as rude profanities yelled out various car windows,” says Chykerda.

“Too often the actions of such negative people get picked up and used to generalize what rural Alberta is like. It’s easy to downplay these occurrences of hate when it’s some anonymous person driving by in a tinted-window vehicle, but another when they come from an individual who is seeking to become our MLA. We cannot have a government that rests its decision-making on internet rumours. And we must not let misunderstandings and unfounded fear shape our community.”

Janis Irwin, who most recently served as NDP Critic for Status of Women and 2SLGBTQ+ issues, commented, saying Johnson’s remarks are, “discriminatory, backwards, and they risk inciting hate and violence against 2SLGBTQ+ Albertans,” adding she doesn’t think the beliefs represent Lacombe-Ponoka or Alberta.

The Central Alberta Pride Society (CAPS) is also unhappy with Johnson’s remarks, saying they fight every day against this type of misinformation.

“The UCP candidate is wrong to spread false information. But they are continuing to embrace this way of thinking to keep the community divided and blinded,” says Lenny Gallant, President. “We try our hardest every day to show the community the truth about the LGBTQ2S+ community. Our truth. We live authentically everyday combating this false propaganda.”

UPDATE

UCP Leader Danielle Smith issued a statement on Thursday saying if Johnson is elected, she won’t be part of the UCP caucus. You can read the entire statement below: