EDMONTON — Social media influencer Lawrence Magee is facing criticism online, including one individual wishing for his death, as individuals react to his group's intentions to launch a website where parents can report teachers pushing ideological beliefs in Alberta classrooms."To the teachers that are fearful that they might be reported for something, that is the whole reason why this exists," said Magee, Berta Proud Dad, in an interview with the Western Standard on Thursday. "And we've seen the pushback online with this, that obviously there are teachers that are circumventing the rules, and now they're afraid of getting caught." After announcing the initiative on social media recently, Magee told the Western Standard on Monday that it is meant to combat teachers who are "trying to become little activists" by pushing their personal ideologies upon students. .Magee often faces criticism and even crass comments online as individuals react to his social media posts providing commentary on situations using his "unapologetically conservative" mantra, but critics have since taken a more "dark" approach in response to his new initiative. Individuals have commented online and wished death upon him and his wife, as well as "doxed" his daughter by revealing where she goes to school."I woke up this morning, and somebody said I should die of cancer and fall in a ditch," Magee told the Western Standard on Friday. "I wouldn't call it bullying because you would have to look at it as bullying, but the online attacks have absolutely ramped up.” Magee said a point of escalation came following a statement from Alberta Teachers' Association president Jason Schilling on Wednesday. "School boards and the Alberta Teaching Profession Commission, not online influencers, have the authority and responsibility to deal with matters involving teachers who fail to meet the expectations set out in the Code of Professional Conduct and the Teaching Quality Standard," wrote Schilling. "That is how accountability works. It is based on evidence, due process and established standards, not on the personal opinions of someone seeking clicks, likes, views and online attention.".According to Magee, the online attacks he is facing reflect a lack of accountability among some public-sector workers who believe they are "untouchable" because their unions protect them. "This is just showing that teachers don't feel that they have to be accountable to parents, and every single parent in the province should be waking up to this," Magee said. He believes that individuals are bombarding him in an effort to get him to have a mental breakdown, but Magee said he will not cave because his journey to sobriety over five years ago taught him how to handle his mental health and deal with "evil people." "These people actually drive me to make sure this project goes through because how they're acting right now shows signs of guilt to me," Magee said. "Guilty people have a different way of showing it, and these teachers and these people who support them are definitely showing it."
